Suspected hoodlums have invaded the property of a 64-year-old businessman, Dahiru Barau Mangal, chasing out all the tenants-occupants and locking up the gates of the premises.
This was despite a court judgment delivered by Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu of the FCT High Court, in a suit marked FCT/HC/CV/234/2006, affirming his ownership of the property situated at Plot 1405, Cadastral Zone A05, Maitama, Abuja.
Vanguard gathered that the hoodlums invaded the property on Thursday 11th November, 202, and took over the property in a Gestapo manner.
They were said to have immediately set up camp around the premises, forcing even a first-generation bank occupying a section of building to shut down its branch activities till further notice.
Legal Counsel to DB Mangal, Opeyemi Ajekigbe (Esq) alleged that enquiries by his client showed that the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, was behind the forced takeover of the property.
Mangal subsequently petitioned the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, urging the government to intervene.
Vanguard investigations revealed that the property hitherto known as Plot 445 had been allocated to NBTE by the Federal Capital Development Authority, but the Right of Occupancy granted to the Board was later revoked.
The land was subsequently subdivided, re-surveyed and re-numbered with new beacons as Plot 1405. Consequently, Plot 445 ceased to exist on the Abuja Geographic information Systems (AGIS).
However, the Statutory Rights of Occupancy of the property now known as Plot 1405 was offered to DB Mangal, and upon payment of all requisite fees, the Certificate of Occupancy was signed and issued to him by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory for development as a commercial property.
It was on the basis of these facts that Justice Ogakwu after the parties presented their arguments, declared DB Mangal as the rightful owner of the property.
Speaking with Vanguard after hoodlums forcefully took over the property last week and paralysed business activities on the premises, Ajekigbe said: “We strongly believe that the Honourable Minister of Education would never issue a directive in conflict with a valid judgment, that premises be taken over in such manner as the NBTE did.
“Actions such as this brings embarrassment to the government and is capable of jettisoning governmental efforts in combating negative representation. How can an agency of government resort to self-help by taking the laws into its hands? How will government agencies be found in the business of hiring thugs to perpetuate illegality?
“Being an educational institution, NBTE ought to know better the import of the word due process and the attendant effect of lack of it. If our client was to resort to self-help as NBTE did, there would be an imminent breakdown of law and order.
“We, therefore, draw the attention of the concerned authorities to immediately put an end to this charade and call the Executive Secretary of NBTE to order and further restrain him from any further embarrassing action.
“We are confident in the ability of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, the DG of DSS, and other law enforcement organisations to maintain the Rule of Law.”
While reacting to the allegations that NBTE sent hoodlums to take over the property, the Executive Secretary of the Board Prof. Idris Bugaje, through his Special Adviser, Bala Aliyu, confirmed knowing about the dispute over the ownership of the property but declined to speak on the matter.
“I am not in town currently,” he simply said.
When asked to provide the contact of staff with some statutory authority to speak to the press on the matter, he also declined, saying: “Just go there,” before ending the telephone call by the reporter.
Vanguard News Nigeria
