Lawyer Raises Alarm Over Takeover of Disputed Abuja Land
- A lawyer for Hongye International Nigeria Limited alleged that men with bulldozers moved on his client's Kado Estate property while a court case was pending
- Matthew Onoja said no document authorising the takeover was shown when he visited the site and demanded answers from those present
- A civic group also raised concerns about the destruction of a designated green area under Abuja's master plan during the operation
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
A lawyer, Matthew Onoja, has raised the alarm over what he described as the forceful takeover of a property in Kado Estate, Abuja, belonging to his client, Hongye International Nigeria Limited, despite an active court case over the land.
Onoja spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, saying the dispute began after the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), which had issued a lease to his client, purportedly allocated the same property to a different party.
Source: Original
He said his client had already petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate how the same land could be allocated twice, and that the police had received the petition, collected supporting documents and indicated that the other party would also be contacted.
Bulldozers and broken fences
While that investigation was still ongoing, Onoja alleged that men arrived at the Kado Estate property with equipment and bulldozers and began pulling structures down.
He said the perimeter fence was destroyed, trees were felled and his client's installations were removed. When he went to the property after learning the operation had resumed, he said the same individuals were returning to continue.
"They came in marked pickup trucks and other men. I asked them if they knew there was a dispute and a pending court case and whether they had seen the notice on the perimeter fence," he said.
Onoja said no document was produced when he asked under what authority they were acting. Those at the site, he added, told him he had no right to question them and directed him to "go to court."
He argued that a lawful occupant cannot be removed without due process, regardless of any ownership dispute, and that proceeding while a matter is before the court showed contempt for the judiciary.
"We cannot be in court and then have any authority or individual who is already joined in the suit go behind the court to encroach upon or prejudice the interests of another party in the same matter that is pending before the court," Onoja said.
The hearing is scheduled for October 2026. He urged the FCT Minister and the IGP to intervene and ensure all parties maintain the status quo until the court decides.
Green space concerns
Also speaking at the press conference, Armsfree Ajanaku, Executive Director of the Grassroots Centre for Rights and Civic Orientation, said his organisation's concern extended beyond the private land dispute. He said the Kado Estate location is understood to be a green area under Abuja's master plan.
Ajanaku linked the issue to broader environmental problems in the FCT, including this year's flooding, which he said was worse than anything he had witnessed since moving to Abuja in 2012.
He also alleged that uniformed police officers were present at the site during the operation, and that streetlights outside the property, funded with public money, were among the infrastructure affected.
"We cannot fold our arms and watch what is supposed to be the only city in Nigeria where we say we should not have a concrete jungle lose all its green spaces to development," he said.
Source: Legit.ng
