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Abacha Family Takes Tinubu, Wike to Court Over Property Revocation
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The Family of the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has lodged an 11-grounds of appeal against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following the revocation of their property situated within the Maitama highbrow district of Abuja.
In the appeal they filed before the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal, the family, represented by wife of the late military leader, Hajia Maryam Abacha and her eldest surviving son, Mohammed, applied for the property to be returned to them.
They contended that the Certificate of Occupancy of the property marked FCT/ABUKN 2478, covering plot 3119 and issued on June 25, 1993, was unlawfully revoked by the Respondents and handed over to a company, Salamed Ventures Limited.
Aside from President Tinubu and Mr. Wike, the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority, FCDA, was also cited as a Respondent in the matter.
Specifically, the Abacha family, through their team of lawyers led by Dr. R. O. Atabo, SAN, is praying the appellate court to set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on July 19, which stripped them of the ownership of the property.
They maintained that trial Justice Peter Lifu erred in law when he held that their claim to the property was previously dismissed by both High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and the Court of Appeal in 2009 and 2015, respectively.
The Appellants argued that the two courts merely struck out the case on the premise that the FCT High Court lacked the requisite jurisdiction to entertain it.
It is the contention of the Appellants that contrary to the position of trial Justice Lifu, the appellate court, stressed that only the Federal High Court has the jurisdiction to determine the matter.
They further alleged that though Justice Lifu had on his own, raised the issue that they were bereft of the locus standi (legal right) to file the case, he, however, failed to give the parties the opportunity to address the court on the matter.
More so, they faulted the trial court for declaring that their suit had become statute barred, insisting that whereas the appellate court gave its previous judgement on May 18, 2015, they filed the instant case on May 25, 2015.
They also faulted the Judge for erring in law when he recognised Salamed Ventures limited as 4th respondent who derived title to their property in dispute during the pendency of their case between the FCT Minister and the FCDA.
According to them, a party to a proceeding cannot transfer title to a 3rd party during the pendency of an action, adding that the 1st – 3rd Respondents purportedly sold the property in dispute to the 4th Respondent during the proceedings of their suit which commenced on March 1, 2006.
“The Certificate of Occupancy upon which the 4th Respondent claims title was issued to it by the 1st – 3rd Respondents on the 25th day of May, 2011 during the pendency of Appellants’ appeal to the Court of Appeal with appeal No: CA/A/197/2010.
By Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution, judicial powers are vested in our Courts and it is the duty of Courts to determine dispute between individuals and government or government agencies. Where a party to a proceeding transfers title to property in a dispute, such attitude is an affront on the authority of our Courts and same will not be condoned..
“The trial Judge of the lower court erred in Law when he held that the revocation of the Appellants title to plot 3119 Maitama, Abuja, was valid even when the purported revocation was not carried out in accordance with Section 28 of the Land
“The learned trial Judge erred in Law when he held that the Appellants action is not for the recovery of land and payment of compensation contrary to the endorsement on the Appellants claim before the Court.
“The Appellants action questioned the validity of the 1st – 3rd Respondents action to revoke the title to plot 3119 Maitama, Abuja under a non-existent law and without payment of compensation.
“The learned trial Judge of the lower court erred in Law when he awarded cost of N500,000.00 in favour of the 4th Respondent who is neither a proper party nor necessary party before the Court.
“Section 28 of the Land Use Act LFN 2004 stipulates conditions under which a property of a citizen of Nigeria can be revoked among which is for outriding public interest.
“The 4th respondent is a Private Limited Liability Company incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020 and was incorporated for the purpose of making profit; and therefore not for overriding public interest.
“The revocation of the Appellants title to plot 3119 Maitama, Abuja and the subsequent sale to the 4th respondent during the pendency of a proceedings in Court is in violation of the extant law.
“The Appellants have no claim against the 4th respondent from the Originating Summons.
The 4th Respondent decided to join the action of the Appellants even when the Appellants have no claim against her.
“The Appellants pray the Court of Appeal to allow the appeal, set aside the judgment of the Lower court delivered on the 19th day of July, 2024 by Justice Peter Lifu.”
Alternatively, they prayed the appellate court to invoke section 15 of its Act, to hear and determine their case as a court of first instance.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the matter to be heard.
It will be recalled that Justice Lifu had in his judgement, dismissed the case on the premise that it had become statute barred as at the time it was filed in 2015.
He further held that going by the documents before the court, the plaintiffs, lacked the locus standi (legal right) to maintain the action.
The plaintiffs, in their statement of claim, told the court that the then Minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, had instructed them to submit the Certificate of Occupancy in their possession for re-certification.
They claimed that the 2nd plaintiff, Mohammed, promptly complied with the directive by delivering the Certificate of Occupancy to the FCDA with the acknowledgement copy issued to him.
According to them, while they waited for the new Certificate of Occupancy to be issued to them, Mohammed, received a letter notifying them that the Certificate of Occupancy had been revoked without any reason adduced in the letter that conveyed the information.
The plaintiffs argued that no compensation was offered to them as required by the law.
Therefore, they prayed the court to declare as unconstitutional, unlawful, illegal, null and void and of no effect, the purported revocation of the property.
More so, they prayed the court to hold that their original Certificate of Occupancy was valid and subsisting since it was revoked without reason or payment of adequate compensation.
They equally sought an order of injunction prohibiting the defendants from taking any further step on the disputed revocation, as well as the award of N500million to them as damages to be paid by the defendants.
However, all the defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit for want of merit.
Deciding the matter last Monday, Justice Lifu, noted that the cause of action in the matter arose on February 3, 2006, when the Certificate of Occupancy was revoked, while the suit was filed in May 2015, about nine years after the revocation.
He stressed that the litigants ought to have approached the court within three months after the cause of action arose.
Justice Lifu also agreed with the 4th Defendant, Salamed Ventures Ltd, that the Abacha property was lawfully revoked having breached agreements in the Right of Occupancy by erecting structures without first obtaining building plans.
Aside from dismissing the case, the court ordered the Abacha family to pay Salamed Ventures the sum of N500, 000 to cover the cost of the litigation.
President Bola Tinubu has said that his administration was building road infrastructure to lay the needed physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy, stressing that education, justice, and innovation need roads to thrive.
Tinubu stated this in Abuja on Tuesday, while flagging off the construction of Collector Road CO1 in the Institutional Research District, from Nile University to Ring Road III.
Represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, the President said that the project included dualisation of the road from Baze University roundabout to Nile University, that is the Base University.
He noted that three years into his administration, the results were speaking out.
“From the Southern Parkway to the Institution and Research District, we are laying the physical foundation for a knowledge-driven economy.
“Today, we provide those roads that are needed to provide justice, education, and innovation to our people.
“To the university community, this road is more than a route. It is a connection between learning, law, and the future of our capital,” he said.
He pointed out that the Institution and Research District was designed to be the intellectual heart of Abuja, adding that universities, law chambers, research centers, and innovation hubs were growing in the area.
He, however, stressed that ideas could not move if roads do not move and connect the heart and people together.
Tinubu further said: “Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, we made a choice to finish what was started and to start what we must finish.
“The first phase of this corridor connecting the Body of Benchers, Nile, and Base University is done and ready for commissioning. Today, we begin the next phase to Ring Road III to complete the loop.
“That is how we build a city—with a plan. Not a city of abandoned pieces. Infrastructure must be continuous, and it must also be useful to the people within the environment”.
He commended FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for turning FCT into a delivery agency, stressing that the transformation of Abuja under the minister’s watch is bold, visible and worthy of commendation.
He said, “Wike, your energy is unmatched. You took over a capital with many stalled projects and turned the FCTA into a delivery agency. ‘Mr. Projects’ is not a slogan, it is a record. You have revived sleeping roads, built new interchanges, and brought development to satellite towns. You have domesticated the Renewed Hope Agenda; street by street, district by district. The transformation of Abuja under your watch is bold, visible, and worthy of commendation. Well done, Minister Wike.”
In his remarks, Wike explained that the project was considered following a plea by the Body of Benchers to provide access roads to ease the movement of people in and out of the area.
He assured FCT residents that the Tinubu administration would fulfill all the promises made to the people of FCT, adding that the project would be completed by January 2027.
The minister said that he would continue to deliver life-impacting projects to FCT residents as directed by Tinubu, stressing that the delivery would not be affected by 2027 political activities.
Earlier, acting Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority, Mr Richard Dauda, said that the Institutional Research District of the FCT is located in Phase III of the city.
Dauda said that the area was planned to accommodate educational institutions like universities, research institutions, and other government institutions as provided in the Abuja master plan.
He added that the district was being developed in stages, with this project being a major intervention in the opening of this district.
He explained that the scope of the current stage involved the construction of Collector Road CO1, from the Nile University to Ring Road III with a total length of about six kilometres.
He added that the project also included the dualisation of the section from the Base University Junction to Nile University.
Tragedy struck in northern Nigeria following reports that two abducted victims, including a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Koko/Besse Local Government Area of Kebbi State, have died while in captivity.
The deceased, Alhaji Muhammadu Mai Barga Besse, who previously served as APC chairman in the local government area, was reportedly held hostage by armed kidnappers for an extended period before his death. Another victim who was abducted alongside him was also confirmed dead, although his identity had not been officially disclosed at the time of filing this report.
The sad development comes months after disturbing videos emerged online showing the victims in dire conditions while being held captive in the notorious Birnin Gwari forest.
The footage sparked widespread concern among family members, political associates and members of the public who called for urgent intervention to secure their release.
Despite efforts made during their captivity, both men were reportedly never reunited with their families before their deaths.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the persistent security challenges facing communities across northern Nigeria.
The Birnin Gwari axis, located along the Kaduna-Niger corridor, has become one of the country’s most dangerous regions, with criminal gangs and armed bandits frequently carrying out kidnappings, attacks on villages and other violent crimes.
Residents and stakeholders have repeatedly called on security agencies to intensify operations in the area and dismantle criminal hideouts within the vast forest, which has long served as a sanctuary for armed groups.
News of the deaths has generated an outpouring of grief on social media, with many Nigerians expressing sadness over the fate of the victims and urging authorities to strengthen efforts against kidnapping and banditry.
Popular social media personality Denglishalhajii also shared the development on Instagram, mourning the victims and drawing attention to the growing insecurity affecting many parts of the region.
The deaths of the former APC chairman and his fellow captive have further underscored the human cost of the country’s security crisis, leaving families, friends and political associates in mourning while raising renewed concerns about the safety of citizens in vulnerable communities.
President Bola Tinubu has asked the senate to approve a constitutional amendment bill seeking to establish state police across Nigeria as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s security architecture.
The request was contained in a letter dated June 15, 2026, and read on the floor of the senate on Tuesday by Godswill Akpabio.
In the correspondence, Tinubu said the proposed Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Alteration) State Police Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to provide a legal framework for the creation of state police services.
The president said the bill is designed to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges by introducing a dual policing structure that would allow both federal and state policing systems to operate within a constitutional framework.
According to him, the proposal builds on previous legislative efforts by both chambers of the national assembly and contains additional safeguards to ensure effective implementation.
“This bill builds on the significant work already done in this regard by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and incorporates additional safeguards to ensure that the creation of a dual policing structure to address our nation’s evolving national security challenges, will be achieved quickly and effectively to the benefit of all Nigerians,” Tinubu said.
The president described the proposed legislation as a key component of his administration’s broader plan to reform Nigeria’s security system and improve the protection of lives and property.
“The proposed legislation is a critical component of our administration’s strategy to reorganize Nigeria’s security architecture to better protect our citizens, and I’m confident that the Senate will act quickly to consider and pass this bill,” he added.
Read Also: Amnesty International Demands Immediate Release of Omoyele Sowore, Condemns Detention
Tinubu urged lawmakers to give the proposal expeditious consideration.
Following the reading of the letter, Akpabio referred the bill to the senate committee on constitution review for further legislative action.
The committee was directed to report back to the chamber on the next legislative day.
Photos: We’re building infrastructure for a knowledge-driven economy – Tinubu
Just in: Kidnapped APC Chairman, Another Victim Die in Abductors hideout
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