Tag: Property
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Wike dashing off Rivers’ property to cronies – Dakuku Peterside
The 2015 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, Dr Dakuku Peterside, has accused Governor Nyesom Wike of being on a property acquisition spree.
Peterside, a one-time Commissioner for Works, said that Governor Wike had cornered no fewer than 400 houses for himself and his cronies in ways he described as “ridiculous and undignified.”
But in a swift reaction, the Rivers Commissioner for Information, Paulinus Nsirim has described Peterside’s comment as spurious, uncouth, spiteful petty, jaundiced and begrudgingly spiteful Mr. Peterside has sunk, in his unbridled obsession to discredit Governor Nyesom Wike.
Peterside in his statement, reminisced with nostalgia the agony the same Governor Wike afflicted on some senior civil servants in 2021 when he ejected them from their official residence in the old and new Government Reserved Areas (GRAs) and other areas in Port Harcourt.
Dakuku Peterside, the immediate past Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) expressed shock that Wike had converted some of those houses to his personal property, whilst others were sold-off at ridiculous market value to his friends and cronies.
“Wike will go down as the most greedy and covetous governor in Rivers’ history,” he lamented, adding, “no governor has ever shown such crave for obscene wealth in Nigeria’s history as Wike.”
“Wike’s house in his village, Rumueprikom, with all luxurious appetite that includes a helipad and bullet-proof gadgets, has become the official Government House of Rivers. And in his unbridled lust for estate acquisition, Wike is buying-off more property, including churches, schools, and private family houses, along Ada George area of Port Harcourt, either opposite, behind, or adjacent to his palatial mansion to expand his estate.“To intimidate his Rivers’ victims more, including the families he forced to relinquish their family legacies to him, Wike has mounted all calibre of surveillance equipment and armed security men to provide 24-hour security around his mansion. On top of all of that, Wike’s appetite to seize-and-acquire, like hell, is enlarging by the day,” he stressed.
Peterside added that “from Diete Spiff to Chibuke Rotimi Amaechi, we had governors who showed humility and never turned their private houses to Government House; they never oppressed Rivers’ people with open displays of wealth as Wike has done.”
The former House of Reps member accused Governor Wike of giving away over 50 houses he used his office as governor to seize from their rightful owners, located in the Old GRA, Amadi Flats, GRA Phases 1, 2 and 3, to his political friends within and outside the state.
“Governor Wike behaves as if he is in control of the future, disregarding the culture of civility, equity, fairness, empathy and due process associated with the exalted office of the Governor; Wike is indeed a shame to Rivers’ people and all that the state represents,” Dakuku Peterside summed up.
Countering Peterside’s charade, Nsirim said:
“One cannot help but wonder, not for the umpteenth time, how low, petty, jaundiced and begrudgingly spiteful Mr. Peterside has sunk, in his unbridled obsession to discredit Governor Nyesom Wike.
He explained that” his latest rant not only reeks of resentful bitterness and acrimonious slander, but has dangerously crossed the line of decency into primitive maliciousness, unbecoming of a man of his supposed intelligence and claimed academic status.
“From puerile and unsubstantiated allegations of seizing property and dashing them to his friends and cronies, Dakuku Peterside betrays his shallow pettiness by crudely attempting a graphically salacious, yet tasteless description of a functional and operational building, located in the very heart of a throbbing capital city like Port Harcourt, in line with the urban renewal initiatives of the Governor Wike administration, which is transforming Port Harcourt in particular, into a capital city of picturesque beauty.
“For the avoidance of doubt and with sincere apologies for repetition, we wish to appeal to the patience of those who may rightly recall, that we have explained and cleared the air on the recovery of properties, especially in previous rejoinders to this same Dakuku.
“We want to state again categorically, that the Rivers State Executive Council took the decision to recover dilapidated government quarters from civil servants and illegal occupants within Old and New Government Residential Area (GRA), Port Harcourt and reallocate them to competent private individuals.
“A task force was properly constituted by the Rivers State Government to carry out this mandate and the findings of the task force revealed that some of these properties were fraudulently acquired by retired civil servants through dubious processes of allocation and sale and some others also fell into utter deterioration due to the abject neglect and lack of maintenance by the occupants.
“The properties were totally in uninhabitable condition and many were converted into commercial and business uses; in some cases, they were even subleted to private tenants, and some of these tenants used the premises for poultries, fish ponds, barbing saloons, and other unauthorized activities.
“The Task Force also discovered that some of these properties were found to be under illegal occupants by non-civil servants, some of whom were even non-indigenes. This therefore, necessitated the recovery of these properties as part of government’s urban renewal programme.
“The Task Force accorded the people the right to follow due process, even though some folks stubbornly toed the ill advised path of non-compliance, which had its well spelt out penalty. Notices were duly served in addition to series of meetings so that nobody was taken unawares.
“The civil servant-occupants, who were affected by the recovery, contrary to the lies and misinformation by Dakuku Peterside, now have alternative private properties through financial support provided by the State Government.
” They are very comfortable in their new residences; a situation which would have been near impossible for them to accomplish at the time, on their civil service emoluments.
“The recovery of these properties and their subsequent reallocation have been properly articulated as part of the first phase of the ongoing urban renewal programme of the Rivers State Government within the Old and New GRA, Port Harcourt, which is proceeding nicely with scheduled compliance.
“So it completely beats the imagination to identify where Dakuku Peterside came up with the hallucination that people were ‘ejected in a ridiculous and undignified manner’ and the misleading rumour that the Governor had cornered no fewer than 400 houses for himself and his cronies and then sold-off at ridiculous market value to his friends and cronies.
“Again, we have consistently declared that Dakuku Peterside does not live in his village, Opobo, the capital city Port Harcourt, or anywhere within and around the capital city territory, otherwise he would have been a little bit more circumspect and less flippant before describing Rumuepirikom, a bustling, thriving modern community, located in the very heart of the state, as a “Village.”
“Governor Wike, unlike some past leaders in the State, who took Rivers wealth to build mansions in Abuja and develop other specific parts of the country, ostensibly to
curry favour, is proudly and patriotically building at home, developing Rivers State and transforming the state capital into a beffiting metropolitan hub.“The urban renewal programme encompasses the entire state capital area, including Rumueprikom. By the way, if Governor Wike does not build his own house in his community, is it in a foreign land that he will go and build it?
“Charity, they say, begins at home and the infrastructural legacies Governor Wike is setting down, especially the amazing, breathtaking flyovers, the state of the art unity roads and expressways and indeed the modern markets, the medical and academic establishments, amongst other excellent infrastructures both in the capital city and across the state, will remain in Rivers State and will continue to be used and utilized by Rivers people, long after his tenure would have ended.
“Governor Wike has even hinted that as his administration gradually winds down, he would be spending quite a bit more time in his country home, interacting and fraternising more with his people and carrying out his usual on the spot inspections of the projects that are still ongoing in the capital territory and across the state, to ensure their completion on schedule.
“This is in line with his pledge that he will not leave any uncompleted project behind for his successor.
“That indeed is the hallmark of a visionary leader who is building in the present for the challenges of the future, unlike some leaders whose legacies ended in the past.
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Liberian allegedly steals lover’s N12m, other property in Lagos
A 36-year-old Liberian, George Wade, on Thursday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing his lover’s property worth N14.05 million.
The police charged Wade, who resides at Lekki, Lagos, with conspiracy and stealing.
He, however, pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecutor, Insp Samuel Mishozunnu, the defendant committed the theft with others at large on Sept. 29, 2021, at Apple Junction, FESTAC Town , Lagos State.
Mishozunnu alleged that the defendant stole $21,000 (N12.09 million), Samsung Galaxy S10 worth N450,000, Nokia phone worth N8,000 and necklace valued at N345,000.
He added that Wade stole a gold wristwatch worth N250,000, voter’s card, driver’s licence, Fidelity and Zenith banks’ debit tokens, and one million Naira.
The prosecutor told the court that the items belonged to Wade’s lover, Miss Faith Mabe.
“She reported the case to the police, and the defendant was arrested,” the prosecutor said.
He noted that conspiracy and stealing respectively contravened Sections 411 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 411 prescribes two years’ jail term for conspiracy while Section 287 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for stealing.
The Magistrate, Mrs H.B. Mogaji, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Mogaji directed that the sureties should be gainfully employed and have evidence of two years’ tax payment to Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case until Feb. 2 for mention.
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Property seizure: Okorocha begs court to set aside Imo panels’ decisions
Former Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo, on Tuesday, urged the Federal High Court, Abuja, to make an order setting aside the seizure and sealing of some of his property by the state government.Okorocha also asked Justice Ahmed Mohammed to restrain the defendants from investigating him or implement the recommendations of the seven panels set up to probe him while he served as the state governor between June 2006 and May 2019 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.The request was contained in a motion on notice brought by his lawyer, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, dated and filed on June 25.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Okorocha, Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/558/2020 filed on May 28, 2020, had urged the court to restrain the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and others from probing him.While the EFCC is the 1st respondent, the 2nd to 48th respondents are the Attorney General (AG) of Imo and members of the seven panels set up to probe previous administrations in the state.However, only the EFCC was represented in court on Tuesday.Maduabuchi told the court that the latest application sought a restoration of the status quo despite the white paper issued by the state government panels.The senior lawyer said despite the service of the motion on the 2nd to 48th defendants, none of them appeared in court.According to him, one is not surprised about their absence in court because that has been their attitude.“It is surprising that the attorney general of the state, who was served processes in the suit since last year, has not filed anything,” he said.Maduabuchi informed that immediately an order of stay of proceedings against the panels was granted by the court, the state government panels quickly accelerated their proceedings and concluded their findings.“Copies of the white paper issued by the panels were exhibited in the application,” he said.The lawyer said the anti-graft agency had always been in court and had since filed its defence.“For the attorney general and the panels, we can go to hell.“But I know my lord is not completely powerless,” he said.Counsel to the EFCC, G.C. Ofulue, did not oppose Maduabuchi’s application.Justice Mohammed adjourned the matter until July 15 for hearing in the plaintiff’s motion on notice.He also ordered that hearing notices be issued to the 2nd to 48th defendants.NAN reports that some of the property listed in the motion include: Eastern Palm University Ogboko; Royal Spring Palm Hotels and Apartments, Akachi Road, Owerri, Imo; Imo Broad Casting Corporation Staff Quarters, Orji or Rochas Foundation Collage Orji; Public Building Plot B/2 Otamiri South Extension Layout and Magistrate Quarters, Orlu Road /Corporate Office including market square Kilimanjaro.Others are Plot 5 Naze Residential Layout and all property contained in pages 226 to 272 of the government white paper on the Florence Duruoha Igwe judicial Commission of inquiry into land Administration in Imo State from June 2006 to May 2019. -
Lagos govt. saves property worth N139bn from fire
The Lagos State government, through the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, said it saved property worth N138.54 billion from fire and related emergencies in the last two years.
Mr Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, made this known on Wednesday in Ikeja, during the 2021 ministerial press briefing to commemorate the second year in office of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Bamgbose-Martins, however, said property worth N24.69 billion were lost to fire and related emergencies in the period under review.
He said the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service in the last two years recorded landmark achievements, largely due to the tremendous support and encouragement received from the Sanwo-Olu administration.
The commissioner said from May, 2019 to March, 2021, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service had undergone various transformations to enhance its operational capabilities to effectively curtail fire outbreaks and related emergencies in the state.
“The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service attended to a total of 1,899 fire calls in the last two years, whereas it has reduced the occurrence of same (fire outbreaks) by 10 per cent.
“The service also responded to 312 rescue calls within the period under review. In its rescue operations, 203 victims have been rescued alive while 113 other victims were recovered, suspected dead.
“The service attended to 98 false calls, bringing the total number of fire and other related emergencies that were attended in the last two years to 2,309.
“In the cause of operation, property estimated at N138.54 billion was saved from fire and related emergencies during the period under review,” Bamgbose-Martins said.
He said the ministry engaged in fire prevention and advocacy, hence, a total of 2,150 facilities were inspected to ascertain their level of fire safety compliance.
According to him, 4,943 facilities were issued fire safety compliance certificates within the period under review.
He said these were to keep them abreast of the operational guidelines of the service and prepare them for actions to be taken in time of emergency with a view to bringing fire incidents to the barest minimum.
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Femi Falana: I didn’t buy N6bn Abuja property for N1bn from EFCC
A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), says contrary to a report making the rounds, he has never bought any property from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a communique on Friday, Falana said the claims by the online medium that ran the report are false, adding that the publication was a ploy by the Federal Government to tarnish his reputation.
According to the rights advocate, the claim that he bought a property from the antigraft agency is one of several attempts by the government to soil his name and bring him to disrepute.
Falana’s statement comes on the heels of a testimony by a witness, Mr. Ngozika Ihuoma who told the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, that a property allegedly recovered by the Pension Reform Task Force, valued at six billion naira was sold to Mr. Falana for one billion naira sometime in 2015.
Reacting, the rights advocate said the property in question was never recovered by the presidential pension task force and that it is on record that the property was used as collateral by the owner, A. Group properties limited, with regards to a loan from Bank PHB in 2008.
He said when the owner of the property defaulted in the payment of the loan it was taken over by the Asset Management of Nigeria (AMCON) via an order of interim forfeiture.
Falana further explained that in an attempt to liquidate the loan the owner of the property wanted to sell it and his law firm agreed to buy the property two hundred and fifty million naira, but they withdrew from the transaction due to the delay in resolving the case.
He noted that up till now, the case is still pending at the Federal High Court.
The human rights activist challenged the Federal Government to proceed to forfeit the alleged one billion naira purportedly paid by him and recover the property if it established that it was recovered by the pension task force.
Below is the full narrative as published by the Senior Advocate.
“Sometime in April 2017 an online medium, sponsored by the Federal Government, claimed falsely that the had handed over a property confiscated from a former governor of Bayelsa State, the Late Chief D.S.P Alamieyesigha to me.
The malicious publication was dismissed when it was revealed that all confiscated properties from the ex-governor had been handed over to the Bayelsa State Government by the EFCC.
In November 2017, the Attorney-General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN alleged that the EFCC had sold one of the houses recovered by Mr. Abdurasheed Maina of the Pension Task Force to “a Lagos Lawyer”.
Even though Mr. Malami SAN did not mention my name I challenged him to provide details of the property. But the challenge was not taken up.
When the stories of the illegal acquisition of properties did not fly the Federal Government alleged before the Ayo Salami Judicial Commission of Enquiry that the suspended Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ibrahim Magu had transferred N28.5 million to the Account of my law firm.
A newspaper that linked me with the false story retracted the story and apologized when I threatened to sue for libel The Panel did not invite me to give evidence as the story was found to be a LIE.
My attention has just been drawn to the renewed version of the LIE to the effect that the same property lying and being at 42, Gana Street, Maitama District, Abuja, allegedly recovered by the Pension Reform Task Force was valued at N6,0000,000.00 (Six Billion Naira) but sold to me for N1,000,000.00 (One Billion. Naira) sometime in 2015.
I wish to say, without any fear of contradiction, that the property in question was never recovered by the Presidential Pension Task Force.
It is on record that the property was used as a collateral by the owner, A. Group Properties Limited a loan from Bank PHB in 2008. When the owner of the property defaulted in the payment of the loan it was taken over by the Asset Management of Nigeria (AMCON) via an order of interim forfeiture.
However, in an attempt to liquidate the loan the owner of the property wanted to sell it. My law firm agreed to buy the property for N250,000,000 (Two hundred and Fifty Million Naira). But we withdrew from the transaction due to the delay in resolving the case. Up till now, the case is still pending at the Federal High Court.
A copy of the order of interim forfeiture of the property granted in favour of AMCON is hereby attached.
In the light of the foregoing, I challenged the Federal Government to proceed to forfeit the alleged N1 billion purportedly paid by me and recover the property if it established that it was recovered by the Pension Task Force.”
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I never sold my property to Osinbajo’s daughter, Abuja landlord speaks
Dr Ayuba Musa, the landlord of the property housing Kiki Osinbajo’s beauty company, GLAM’D Africa, has dismissed Mr Jackson Ude’s claims concerning the ownership of the house.
Musa’s reaction was sequel to a social media post by Ude, a New York based blogger, that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s daughter, Kiki, owns the property which houses her company, GLAM’D Africa.
The landlord, in a disclaimer he signed on Friday in Abuja, said the property was never, at any point in time, sold to the Vice President’s daughter or to anyone.
Musa said that he remained the rightful owner of the property and that all documents on the house were still carrying his name and challenged anyone in doubt to check with the FCT authorities.
“In reaction to the recent reports on social media with regards to the above mentioned property, I write to declare that I, Dr Ayuba Z Musa, am the rightful owner of the said property located at No. 40 Durban Street, Wuse 2, Abuja.
“I have all my documents which are duly registered with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS).
“I have never at any point sold or have agreed to sell my property to GLAM’D Africa, Miss Osinbajo or to any other person; this is completely false,” he said.
According to him, Osinbajo’s daughter is his tenant and has been since April 12, 2017, adding that the tenancy was recently renewed for an additional period of one year.
Ude, had through his platform, recently claimed that the suspended EFCC chairman, Ibrahim Magu, had confessed to giving N4 billion to the Vice President.
He further reported in another post that part of the money was used to purchase the property at Wuse 2, Abuja for GLAM’D Africa.
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Abia govt gives EFCC seven days to unseal ‘seized’ property
The Abia State Government on Monday gave the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seven days to remove what it called “offensive” notices placed on some assets and estates said to belong to the state government.
Chief Uche Ihediwa, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, announced the ultimatum while speaking on some developments in the state, including the sealing off of some property purported to belong to a highly placed politician in the state.
In a statement in Umuahia, the state capital, Ihediwa urged the EFCC to tender an unreserved apology to the state within seven days due to the inconvenience its action had caused the state.
The commissioner sad the state would seek legal redress if the EFCC failed to apologise within the period.
He said the assets the EFCC marked belonged to Abia State government, adding that the government duly entered into partnership with credible investors for the development of the property under a public private partnership (PPP) while the reversionary interest in the property would reside in the state government.
Ihediwa stressed that the law establishing the EFCC makes it clear that the commission can only seal off the property of persons under investigation, saying the ownership of the property in question was not under probe.
He recalled that in 2016, the EFCC investigated the ownership of most of property and the certificates of occupancy and the PPP arrangement between the state government and investors in various assets.
The commissioner described the action of the EFCC as unwarranted and unlawful, saying the agency did not ask the state government about the ownership of the property whose title documents are domiciled in the Ministry of Lands.
The sealed assets include the Abia Mall, the Adelabu Housing Estate, the former township main market at Ogwumabiri, the Millennium Luxury Apartment, Abia Hotels and Linto Estate, Old Timber Market, all in Umuahia.
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Court restrains police, others from Obanikoro’s property in Abuja
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has restrained the Nigeria Police from taking over a property in Jahi District, Abuja, belonging to Bhodes Integrated Limited.
A former Minister, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, is chairman of Bhodes Integrated Limited.
In an exparte motion filed through its counsel, Adebola Oyeneyin, the firm prayed the court to restrain the police from further trespassing and erecting structures on the property.
The exparte application with motion number M/5177/2020, by the firm has the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Police Force Property Development and Construction Company Limited, Minister of FCT and Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as first to fourth defendants respectively.
The company had prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the police and its property development company who are 1st and 2nd defendants in the case from taking over the land.
The presiding judge, Justice A. S. Adepoju held in an order sighted by The Nation on Sunday: ”Both parties whether by themselves or by their savants, officers, agents, or privies or otherwise howsoever so described are further restrained from trespassing, erecting, building, occupying, demolishing, disturbing, excavation of soil and alteration of the natural state or interfering with the Plot No. 237 measuring approximately 5957.18m2 bounded by beacon numbers P82. P83, P86401, P86402 and P36403 Cadastral Zone BIS of Sector Center A, Abuja and covered by an Offer of Statutory Right of Occupancy dated 21st of November 2019 pending the hearing and the determination of the substantive suit.”
The case has been fixed for July 15, 2020 for hearing.
About three weeks ago, the company had written a petition to the Chairman, Police Service Commission over the taking over of the land.
The General Manager of the company, Bayo Smith, who signed the petition, said the land is measuring 5,955 square meters sitting on Plot No 133 Cadastral Zone, B15 of Centre Sector A in Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the petition, the portion of land was allocated to the company by the then Minister of the FCT and current Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-rufai in 2007 through the then Accelerated Development Programme on the 28th April, 2007 and it was fenced it round.
He also said the land was further reallocated on the 16th February 2012.
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Real reasons we seized Saraki’s property in Ilorin – Kwara Govt
Kwara state government has defended its decision to revoke the Ilofa road, GRA, Ilorin plots of land allegedly illegally acquired by the late strong man of Kwara politics, Dr Olusola Saraki.
The state government also revealed further details surrounding the Civil Service Clinic land and its adjourning plots in Ilorin, the state capital, amid public enquiry.“The entire land was acquired in the 1970s for Overriding Public Interest and same was initially designed to host the phase II of the State Secretariat. The construction of the said State Secretariat Phase II was actually commenced and it was at superstructure level before same was abandoned,” Director General of the Bureau of Lands Ibrahim Salman said in a statement.
“The entire land was later redesigned in the 1980s for the construction of a Civil Service Clinic, State Secretariat, and a parking lot for both the Clinic and the State Secretariat.
“The Clinic was subsequently constructed in 1982, while the remaining plots of land were conceived for the expansion of the Clinic into a full-fledged Hospital.
“The dream of the state Government was stalled when part of the land slated for the parking lot was spuriously allocated in principle to one Asa Investment for commercial purpose.
“From available records, the allocation was not based on a formal application, nor application forms filled; there was no evidence of payment for the said allocation as stipulated in the letter of allocation in principle and consequently, no right of occupancy was ever issued to the Company.“Furthermore, in flagrant abuse of the allocation terms, the company took possession of the land and constructed what is today known as ‘Ile Arugbo’ on part of the land that was designed as parking lot and later conceived to host the expansion of the Civil Service Clinic into a full-fledged Hospital.“Following a resolution of the Kwara State House of Assembly mandating him to revoke/withdraw the spurious allocation, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq recently signed an instrument to reclaim the land on the ground that same was unlawfully allocated to a private Company contrary to the public purpose of its acquisition and occupied in breach of the terms of allocation.
“This (press) release is intended to state the facts on the land recently revoked/withdrawn by the state government as contained in our records.”
