Developer Demolishes Abuja Community

Kuchibedna community close to Gwarinpa Estate in Kafe District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been demolished by an Abuja developer, marking an unprecedented culmination of a 14-year-old legal battle.

The enforcement of the Court of Appeal judgment allowed Winning Clause Nigeria Limited to reclaim possession of Plot 67, Cadastral Zone C05, leading to widespread demolition.

The demolition which was supervised by court bailiffs and security personnel, proceeded amidst tensions.

The legal representative for Winning Clause, Marx Ikongbeh, stated, “What you witnessed today is not an act of aggression, but the enforcement of four binding court judgments.

“The court specifically issued an order of specific performance directing the FCT Minister to give us vacant possession. After years of defiance, the law is finally being upheld.”

The roots of this dispute traced back to 2011, when Winning Clause received the original land allocation.

According to Ikongbeh, despite three separate compensations to the community, the residents failed to vacate, further complicating the situation by selling plots to non-indigenes.

“In 2017, Justice D.Z. Senchi upheld that they were trespassers,” he recalled.

The community’s legal efforts crumbled through successive court rulings: “In 2021, Justice A.O. Ebong ruled in favour of Winning Clause, affirming illegal occupation, while in February 2025, the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court findings, reaffirming the community’s trespass,” Ikongbeh explained.

The enforcement action was backed by a Court of Appeal order dated August 22, 2025, alongside a Warrant of Possession issued on September 23, 2025.

He emphasised that the enforcement aimed at restoring order, ending security threats, citing the community’s status as a breeding ground for crime.

“There were reports of killings, drug activity, and other vices flourishing here. Despite court judgments and compensation, they continued to occupy and expand in defiance of the law.

“Even after the community lost in court multiple times, we showed unusual magnanimity by paying compensation again to non-indigenes residing in the area,” he said.