Group Alleges Police Involvement In Controversial Sale Of Abuja Property
* Hails EFCC intervention, seeks justice for 79-year-old grandmother
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
A civil society organisations (CSO), Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture (INAHURAT), has accused some officers of the Nigerian Police Force of allegedly intervening in a land dispute matter.
The group’s Executive Director, Maxwell Opara, a legal practitioner, also highlighted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) professional approach to the matter and raised concerns about delays in justice from other institutions.
Opara, at a news conference in Abuja Thursday, said a 79-year-old grandmother, Hajia Colleen Mero Yesufu, became the beneficial owner of a property lying and situate at Plot 4022 Guzape District, Cadastral Zone A09, Abuja, FCT in December 2010, after she bought it from the original allottee and executed the requisite transfer documents.
He told journalists that Hajia Yesufu’s team of legal practitioners petitioned the Solicitor General at the Legal Services Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and its numerous agencies over the matter immediately.
He said agencies of the FCTA promptly marked a “STOP WORK” of the development on August 30, 2023, while her lawyers at the time also petitioned the FCT Police Commissioner on September 4, 2023.
Opara further explained that the FCTA Director of Investigations and Prosecutions, Mr. Joseph Eriki, scheduled numerous meetings with all parties and the relevant FCTA departments but that the alleged trespassers blatantly refused to appear before the enquiry panel or send any documentation.
He alleged that a fake Power of Attorney (POA) was registered as FC 160 Page 160 Vol. 69 PA in favour of a different person (names withheld) and uploaded onto the AGIS system by unidentified staff of the agency.
Opara said further investigations revealed that a forged right-of-occupancy was allegedly used to obtain building approvals which led to the withdrawal of the building permit, sealing and marking of the building for demolition in October 2023.
The lawyer equally alleged that the trespassers filed a suit against the FCTA in court using forged documents asking for the status quo to be maintained to prevent the demolition of the buildings.
He claimed that the police allegedly declared that those contesting the property with Yesufu bought the land from the original allottee in 2014, and attached police extract dated August 21, 2014 and signed by the DPO Divisional Headquarters, Gwarimpa, FCT Command.
According to him, “The FCTA officials who attempted to enforce the withdrawal order were reportedly threatened by a very senior ranking police officer to steer clear of the site or face severe consequences.
“Eventually, on the 25th of October 2023, the FCTA Director of Investigations sent the investigation report with a petition to the FCT Police Commissioner confirming ‘Conspiracy, Forgery, Fraud and Criminal Trespass’ over Mama’s property in Guzape.
“The then FCT Police Commissioner Haruna Garuba ordered an investigation by O/C of the C/P’s Crack Squad on the 9th of November 2023.
“The Yesufu family made necessary statements at the Gwarimpa HQ and submitted relevant documents before the police raided the property and made numerous arrests on the 17th of November 2023.
“Despite the FCTA report/petition and additional evidence by Yesufu, all the arrested suspects were released within two hours.
“Mama and family were forced to engage the services of Falana and Falana Law Chambers who petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on 18th of December, 2023.
“Mama’s prayer was that the IGP would look into the matter swiftly and bring the suspects to book.”
He has, therefore, pleaded with the Chairman of the EFCC, Olanipekun Olukoyede, to prosecute those who allegedly grabbed her properties in choice areas within Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
He said that to play safe, Yesufu sent a separate petition to the Chairman of the EFCC on December 19, 2023.
Opara said: “The EFCC conducted a thorough and professional investigation and have concluded their investigations.
“Thankfully, the EFCC restored confidence in the system on this particular matter by securing an interim forfeiture order on the 20th of December from the Federal High Court in Abuja and has begun to recover the properties for Mama and her family.
“We, therefore, demand that the law be allowed to take its course. We also call on the EFCC Chairman to do the needful by charging the suspects in this matter to court in the interest of justice and to prevent others from becoming victims.”
The NPF Spokesman, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, had in a press statement on December 30, 2024, dismissed the allegations of police interference and protection of a “criminal suspect”, which Yesufu had initially reported to the police for investigation since September 4, 2023.
ACP Adejobi had, in the statement, clarified that the police authorities do not interfere in civil matters.
