Abuja estate owners allege N1bn loss as FCT officials demolish property despite court order

From Fred Itua, Abuja

The owners of Peka Park and Garden, located on Aswan Street, Zone 3, Wuse, Abuja, have alleged that officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished parts of their property despite a subsisting court order restraining government authorities from interfering with the premises.

The company, Obike Industries Nigeria Limited, also claimed that it had lost more than N1 billion in property, equipment and other investments following the demolition.

Director of the company, Onyeka Ikenta, made the allegations on Monday at a press conference in Abuja, where he called on the Federal Government and relevant authorities to intervene in the matter.

Ikenta said the property, identified as Plot 1353, Cadastral Zone A02, Wuse 1 District, was originally reserved as a green area and subsequently allocated to the company for management and development after it successfully participated in a bidding process conducted by the FCT authorities.

According to him, the FCT Administration advertised the management of the reserve area in 2006, while Obike Industries emerged among the successful bidders following the qualification process published in 2007.

He said the company subsequently completed the required processes and invested heavily in developing the 4.05-hectare property into a recreational and hospitality facility, which he said had provided employment for more than 100 people and served residents and visitors to the capital.

Ikenta, however, said the company encountered difficulties after discovering alleged encroachments by adjoining properties, which, according to him, affected the implementation of its approved development plan.

He said the dispute eventually led the company to approach the FCT High Court in 2016 in Suit No. CV-840-2016, involving the FCT Minister, the FCDA and other parties.

He further stated that following a visit to the disputed property by the court on March 2, 2017, Justice U.P. Kekemeke, on March 9, 2017, issued an interlocutory order restraining the first and second defendants from dealing with the property in a manner adverse to the interests of the company.

Ikenta said the company relied on the subsisting order whenever officials allegedly attempted to interfere with the property, insisting that the matter remained before the court.

He alleged that despite the court order, FCT officials returned to the property on September 15, 2026, issued a quit notice and marked structures for demolition, claiming that the property had been revoked and allocated or sold to another party.

The company said it subsequently wrote to the FCT Minister and relevant officials, including the Director of Development Control and Director of Parks and Recreation, drawing their attention to the court order and attaching a copy of the ruling.

Ikenta said the company also initiated further judicial processes, including Form 48, to notify the parties of the consequences of alleged disobedience to the court order, followed by Form 49 after the demolition commenced.

According to him, however, officials returned to the property on September 24 with bulldozers and other heavy equipment and demolished the perimeter fence, before returning on September 28 to carry out further demolition of the structures.

He alleged that security personnel from various agencies, including the police, Army, Civil Defence, Immigration and the Department of State Services, were present during the demolition, while a company he identified as Legitimate Properties Limited allegedly took possession of the property.

The director appealed to President Bola Tinubu, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, the National Assembly and the judiciary to intervene, arguing that the incident had implications for the rule of law, protection of investments and investor confidence in Nigeria.

Ikenta also expressed concern that the conversion of green areas into residential developments could worsen flooding in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, insisting that the disputed property had served recreational, environmental and tourism purposes.

He said the company was still taking inventory of its losses but had so far estimated the value of destroyed structures, equipment and other investments at more than N1 billion.

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