Land Grab: NSCDC Officers Accused Of Invading Abuja Estate, Injuring Six

Developer Parading Cloned Document To Back Up Encroachment Claims– NSCDC

The management of Premier Homes Estate in the Sabon Lugbe axis in Abuja has accused the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of invading their facility, injuring six workers, and detaining them for hours.

The managing director of Premier Homes Interproject Limited, Chief J. Mamman, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP, accused men of the Civil Defence Corps of storming their property with four truckloads of personnel at about 12 noon on May 18 and assaulting staff working on the site.

According to the MD, Premier Homes purchased 28 hectares of land from KYC Interproject Limited out of a larger 170-hectare estate. He stated that the land falls under KYC’s title covered by an FCDA Right of Occupancy, adding that a memorandum of understanding and supporting documents were signed for the 28-hectare allocation.

The MD said trouble began when Civil Defence officers allegedly encroached on 3 hectares of the land where small structures already existed. Premier Homes left that portion untouched and moved to clear virgin land instead.

The site manager Muhammad Jamiu Yakubu recounted that he and other workers were clearing the new portion when NSCDC officers arrived in seven vehicles, including four Hilux trucks, a black jeep, and two other vehicles led by commander Boniface Udeh, chairman of the Civil Defence Cooperative Society, and his deputy, Assistant Commandant Braimoh Yakubu.

The MD said the dispute stems from claims by the Civil Defence Cooperative Society that it acquired 200 hectares in the area. He stated that while waiting for talks, the company kept a grader on site at a cost of ₦840,000 per day for four days. Work resumed on May 18, prompting the alleged invasion. Six workers were arrested and taken to the NSCDC Zone 5 Command in Wuse, where they were held until 9 pm before being released.

Meanwhile, in a swift response to enquiries by our correspondent, the head of the FCT command of the Cooperative Society Unit of the Corps, , assistant commandant Boniface Udeh, described the allegations by Premier Homes Estate as baseless and misleading, insisting that the issue is a clear case of unlawful encroachment by the developer. He further alleged that the developer may be parading cloned documents in an attempt to justify what he described as illegal occupation of the land.

Udeh maintained that the disputed land legitimately belongs to the Cooperative Society Unit of the FCT Command of the Corps, stressing that both parties had appeared before the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), where ownership records allegedly confirmed the land to belong to the Corps.

“For us, this is beyond propaganda or public embarrassment. We will not fold our arms and allow encroachment on property legally belonging to our cooperative society. No amount of influence or external backing will stop us from pursuing lawful recovery of our land.

Responding to allegations that NSCDC personnel invaded the site and assaulted workers, Udeh stated that officers merely acted in response to distress calls from unarmed members of the cooperative society who were allegedly attacked with stones and other weapons while visiting the property.

According to him, the cooperative officials who first visited the site were allegedly chased, assaulted, and pelted with stones and work tools by labourers working for the developer, forcing them to flee for safety before security personnel later intervened

He maintained that if any injuries were sustained during the operation, such incidents may have occurred while some of the said workers allegedly resisted lawful arrest by the responding team from the FCT Command of the Corps deployed to restore order and protect their colleagues.