SAN Petitions IGP Over Abuja Land Tussle

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Ogwu James Onoja, has told a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) that a deputy inspector-general of police (DIG) Frank Mbah was petitioned for allegedly subverting the judgement of the court in a legal battle over the ownership of a parcel of land in Abuja.

The senior lawyer told Justice M.A. Hassan that the police chief allegedly subverted the court‘s judgement delivered on June 14, 2023 which resolved the ownership of Plot 756, Cadastral Zone Bo7, Katampe District, Abuja measuring 1.8 hectares in favour of an Abuja-based real estate development company, Ana Rock Global Services Limited.

The petition addressed to the inspector-general of police (IGP) dated April 15, 2024, signed by Barrister George Ibrahim on behalf of Bar and Bench Chambers was received in IGP‘S office same day.

Based on the judgement, Onoja said on 26th January, 2024, the Enforcement Unit of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja carried out enforcement on the land and handed over possession to Ana Rock Company which then put its officers in occupation and security for surveillance.

He submitted that after the execution of the court judgement, a company, Ofi Merchandise Ltd, which sold the land to Ana Rock Global Services allegedly connived with another company, Lifecamp Paradise Ltd and illegally secured police officers identified as SP Pantami, Yaro Yaro and others to forcefully eject Ana Rock from the property without any order of court.

He alleged that DIG Frank Mbah, using Yaro Yaro, SP Pantami and host of others attached to SWAT office, Area 3, Garki – Abuja first came to the land with heavily armed police men to forcefully take it over for Lifecamp Paradise Ltd but could not succeed due to the presence of officers of the Civil Defence guarding the premises on account of the owner.

Onoja explained that men of the Department of the State Service (DSS) were also secured by Lifecamp Paradise Ltd for the same purpose but were equally unable to forcefully remove Ana Rock and its officials from the land.

However, on 12th April, 2024, he told the judge that officials of the Lifecamp Paradise Ltd went to the land by 10 pm and were apprehended by the security personnel on the land who handed them over to Police Station at Mabushi, Abuja, as legally required.  

According to him, on 13th April, 2024 when officials of the Ana Rock Global Services went back to police at Mabushi to give further briefing on the arrest, they were detained alongside the security man on the land who voluntarily came to the station to make statement as to what happened on the land the previous night.

Rather than investigating a case of criminal trespass on the land, the senior lawyer submitted that police at Mabushi handed officials of Ana Rock Global Services Ltd to SWAT Office, Area 3, Abuja and have since been unlawfully detained.

He accused police of allowing their personal interests to overshadow their core mandate to the citizens as provided in the Police Act and the Constitution.