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…say anti-graft agency is defying court order as ownership battle remains before the courts

By Gloria Ikibah

A lawyer, Emaya Alibeku, has called on President Bola Tinubu and the House of Representatives to intervene in an ownership dispute over a property at Guzape District in Abuja, urging them to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to vacate the premises and comply with what he described as a subsisting order of the Federal High Court.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Barrister Alibeku, who represents Dr Rebecca Godwin Omokomo-Isaac, alleged that the anti-graft agency had ignored a court order directing all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/151/2026.

He argued that the commission’s continued occupation of the property at Plot 4022 amounted to a disregard for the authority of the court, stressing that the ownership dispute has yet to be determined.

“It is very ironical that a government agency established by law will refuse to obey an order of the court. It is a blatant disregard for the authority of the judiciary and the rule of law,” Alibeku said.

According to him, no government institution should take actions capable of prejudicing a matter that is still before a competent court.

The lawyer traced the dispute to 2022 when his client purchased the undeveloped plot from Richard Idakwagi, the Chief Executive Officer of Rychado Homes Limited, after carrying out what he described as due diligence on the title documents.

He said his client subsequently cleared the land, conducted a survey and built a residential property, before moving into the house with her family in 2024 without any challenge to her ownership.

He explained that the dispute only arose after a woman identified as Collen Mero Yesufu laid claim to the property.

“The whole debacle started after our client had completed the building and moved into the property. There was no contest whatsoever from the time she purchased the land, through construction, until she took possession.

“It was only after she had moved into the property with her family in 2024 that a certain woman, Collen Mero Yesufu, emerged and started laying claims to the property,” he said.

Alibeku said the rival claimant later petitioned both the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), prompting separate investigations by the two anti-corruption agencies.

He maintained that his client cooperated fully with investigators and submitted documents detailing how she acquired the property.

According to him, the ICPC’s investigation found that the person from whom Yesufu allegedly derived title to the property could not be traced.

“ICPC discovered that the property in question does not belong to Collen Mero Yesufu because the person she claimed to have bought it from does not exist.

“The alleged original allottee, Amina Musa Usman, was said to be from Kogi State. However, when investigators visited the community where she was purportedly from, they found no trace of such a person.

“There are only two legitimate ways to acquire title to land. You are either the original allottee or you purchase from the original allottee with the appropriate instruments of transfer. The investigations exposed serious inconsistencies in the rival claim,” he said.

Alibeku also questioned the authenticity of documents presented by the opposing claimant.

“That means she signed the document even before it came into existence. That alone raises serious questions.

“Again, instead of obtaining an irrevocable power of attorney from the person she claimed sold the property to her, she obtained one directly from the alleged original allottee whose existence has not been established. Those are major red flags,” he added.

Despite what he described as the ICPC’s findings, Alibeku said the EFCC proceeded to file three separate criminal cases against his client over the same property.

He said two of the cases are pending before the Federal High Court, while another is before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory.

“All these matters are still pending before competent courts. None has been determined. Yet, while the criminal cases were pending, the EFCC commenced forfeiture proceedings against the property,” he said.

Although the commission secured an interim forfeiture order, Alibeku claimed his client was never served with the court processes.

“We only became aware of the interim forfeiture proceedings after the order had been obtained. We were never served, despite the fact that the EFCC knew who occupied the property, knew who developed it and knew who was standing trial.

“As soon as we became aware, we immediately filed an objection, an affidavit to show cause and a motion to set aside the interim forfeiture order”, he stated.

He said both parties had since exchanged legal processes and the case was adjourned until 21 July 2026.

However, before the hearing date, Alibeku alleged that EFCC operatives entered the property on 29 June.

“They stormed the property, arrested every member of staff they found on the premises and laid siege to the building.

“Fortunately, our client’s husband and her children were not at home when the operation commenced.”

He further alleged that his client remained trapped inside the house after essential services were disconnected.

“She has remained inside the house without light, without water and without basic amenities because the utilities were disconnected,” he alleged.
Following the incident, Alibeku said his legal team returned to court and obtained an order directing all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the hearing of the substantive application.

According to him, that order required all parties to return to the position that existed before the EFCC took possession of the property.

“The status quo before the invasion was that our client was in peaceful possession of the property.

“It is therefore wrong for the EFCC to interpret the order as permitting it to remain inside the premises.

“We have tried to appeal to their better sense of judgment, but they have continued to rely on what we consider a complete misinterpretation of the court’s order”, he stated.

Although the matter has since been adjourned for hearing on an application for an interlocutory injunction, Alibeku insisted that the commission should comply with the earlier court directive.

“Our position remains that they should obey the court order. Judicial processes have not been exhausted.

“A final judgment has not been delivered. The property has not been finally forfeited.

“If they say they are preserving the property, what exactly are they preserving? It is a property built by our client herself.

“They should allow the judicial process to run its full course before laying claim to property that is still the subject of litigation”, he said.

He appealed directly to President Tinubu, the leadership of the House of Representatives and other relevant authorities to intervene.

“We appeal to the Presidency and the National Assembly to call the EFCC to order.

“They should direct the commission to withdraw its officers from the property and allow our client to remain in possession until the court determines the matter finally.

“If we claim to operate under constitutional democracy, government institutions must act within the confines of the law”, he added.

Alibeku disclosed that letters had already been sent to relevant government offices seeking intervention.

“We have written to relevant executive offices to make them aware of our plight, but we have not received any response.

“That is why we considered it necessary to bring this matter before the Nigerian public.”

Also speaking, the husband of the property owner, Engineer Isaac Ishaku-Yusuf, described the situation as deeply distressing for his family, alleging that he had not seen his wife since EFCC operatives took over the property.

“I have not seen my wife for 11 days.

“My wife has been suffering. It has been a very painful and traumatic experience for our family.

“Our children witnessed what happened that day and have continued asking after their mother every day. I keep telling them she is fine, even though the situation has been very difficult”, he said.

The EFCC had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of filing this report.