Police Arrest 2 FCT Officials Over Illegal Demolition

Operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Abuja, have arrested two officials of the Development Control of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) involved in the illegal demolition of buildings at Palm Residence Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, belonging to Shimex International Trading Company Limited.

The two officials were identified as Hassan Ogbole and Bajja while the rest – Osita, Mrs. Thaibat and Illiya – are yet to be apprehended.

Their detention followed a warrant of arrest issued by the Upper Area Court, Bwari, Abuja in case No. CR/152/2022, between Shimex International Trading Company Limited,

Mr. Mubarak Ahmad Tijjani and Osita, Hassan Ogbole, Bajja, Mrs. Thaibat, Illiya and persons unknown in the flagrant violation of sections 348, 397 and 327 of the Penal Code Law.
The registrar of the court, Aliyu Shehu, conveyed the case and warrant of arrest to the deputy inspector general of police, Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Area 10, Garki, Abuja, for thorough and discreet investigation and forward the report of the investigation to the court when completed.
“I have the mandate of the judge of this court to write and refer the above-named case to your office for a thorough and discreet investigation.
“That the report of your investigation should reach this honourable court as soon as the investigation is completed”, the registrar stated.
The counsel to Shimex International Trading Company Limited and Tijjani, E.S. Marcus Esq, in a Motion No.59/22 dated July 8, 2022, brought pursuant to section 89 of the administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court to cause a direct criminal complaint to be issued against the defendants on the following terms:
Lamenting his ordeal in the hands of the accused, Mubarak Tijjani said, “on Thursday July 7, 2022, about 12 noon some officials of FCT development control, acting on their own accord, illegally demolished my company’s Palm Residence Estate Lugbe, which include houses, offices, street lights, equipment, thousands of blocks and building materials for ongoing construction in the Estate worth hundreds of millions of naira.

“The demolition was carried out without the authority of the FCT management which duly approved and allocated the land as well as approved the building plans.

“My company will go to any length to seek justice within the law of the land and put a stop to these malicious acts by officials of the development control that have been going on for decades in FCT. It is mischievous and counterproductive to destroy multimillion naira investments and property duly approved by relevant authorities without recourse to the leadership of the FCT that approved the land and buildings, thus undermining their authority.”