Homeowners In Abuja Seek Wike’s Intervention Over Alleged Harassment By Developer

Homeowners at Dr. Sam Nujoma Estate in Galadimawa, Abuja, have appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to intervene in what they described as persistent harassment, intimidation, and alleged extortion by developer El Salem Nigeria Limited.

In a petition addressed to the Legal Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the chairman of the estate’s Residents Association said the homeowners legally acquired their properties and should not be treated as tenants within the estate.

According to him, officials of El Salem Nigeria Limited have allegedly refused to relinquish management of the estate despite exhausting available plots for sale.

He further alleged that the company has deployed private security personnel to intimidate, threaten, and in some cases assault residents.

The chairman explained that the estate, located on Plot 21, Cadastral Zone C17, Industrial Area II, was originally allocated in 2007 to the African University of Science and Technology.

He said the university later entered into a sublease agreement with El Salem Nigeria Limited, which developed the estate under the name Dr. Sam Nujoma Estate and introduced additional developers without FCTA approval.

He further claimed that the land was originally designated in the FCTA development plan for student hostel accommodation, not residential or commercial use.

The residents’ association urged the FCT Minister to facilitate the issuance of Rights of Occupancy (R-of-O) and Certificates of Occupancy (C-of-O) to homeowners in the estate to resolve the dispute.

Responding to the allegations, the Director of Investigation and Prosecution in the FCTA Legal Department, Joseph Eriki, confirmed the matter in a correspondence addressed to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Nigeria Police Force.

Eriki reportedly directed the police to arrest officials of El Salem Nigeria Limited and individuals allegedly claiming approval to use the land for non-educational purposes, while also accusing the university of altering the approved land use without government consent.

The country director of the African University of Science and Technology, Mr. Adekoya Seyi, said efforts were ongoing to resolve the dispute.

“We are not unaware of the issues. Discussions are ongoing and will soon be resolved. However, I am not going to yield to the demands of the FCTA Legal Department director,” he said.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of El Salem Nigeria Limited were unsuccessful as the company’s executive director did not respond to calls or messages at the time of filing this report.

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