UK-Based Doctor Tackles Abuja Agency Over Property Demolition

Christina Umolu, a United Kingdom-based doctor, has made allegations against the officials of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council.

She accused the officials of demolishing her property at Plot 34, Phase AA3, behind the NNPC in Kuje, in the Federal Capital Territory.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Umolu purchased the property in 1993 and was given a right of occupancy by the Cadastral Section of Land Survey of Federal Capital Development Authority, Abuja, for the land.

The doctor said she built a private health facility, the Leah-Jada-Joseph Clinic, on the land, adding that sometime in 2020, one Juliet, started claiming ownership of the land.

In a bid to determine the rightful owner of the land, Umolu said the matter was charged to the Federal Capital Territory High Court.

She, however, explained that without a final pronouncement by the court, the agency’s officials stormed her medical centre, chased her workers out of the premises, demolished her property and destroyed medical equipment worth N600m.

Umolu said, “I bought the land in 1993 and I was given all the official documents including my right of occupancy. They allotted me plot 34 and I had been running my medical outfit there ever since. But in 2020, a woman named Juliet came and said she owned the land.

“At that time, I was not in the country but the case was taken to court and the pronouncement had not been given when I suddenly heard that the Department of Development control under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council demolished my property, chasing away all my doctors and nurses as well as destroying equipment worth over N600m.

“I came to Nigeria to contest my land, presented all my documents to the AMMC and we found out that Juliet’s property was plot 64 and not 34. The AMMC made the mistake of not checking their books properly or doing a thorough investigation before pulling down my property.”

Umolu said before the demolition happened, the agency served her a demolition order, adding that despite presenting necessary documents to the agency to validate her claim, its officials still went ahead to demolish the property.

The aggrieved doctor urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello, to intervene in the matter, adding that her property was demolished unjustly and without due process.

She said, “When the agency realised that it made a mistake in demolishing my property, its officials called me to present all my documents and said they would appease me.

“But I am beckoning on the esteemed office in the capacity of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mohammed Bello, to intervene and call the reported office to order, for obstructing the course of justice with their alleged complicity as recourse to the pending subject matter which is yet to be affirmed in the favour of the claimant, Juliet Ezeoke, via a pronounced judgement and valid court order, as their continued breach or actions can be likened to contempt of the court.”

Contacted, the Director of the Department of Development Control, Muhktar Galadinma, declined to comment on the phone as he told our correspondent to visit his office in Abuja for a reaction.