The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello on Tuesday told FCT high court that the daughter of former President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua, Zainab forged several documents to lay claim to a disputed plot of land in Abuja.
The Minister averred that there was nothing to show that the former President’s daughter ever applied for land in the FCT or made any official payment to the Federal Capital Development Authority FCDA that gave her title to own any plot of land in Abuja.
This is contained in a joint statement of defense by the Minister and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) who are 3rd and 4th defendants to a legal action instituted by Zainab who is claiming ownership of plot 506, Zone B 09, Kado District, Abuja.
Both the Minister and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) have denied ever allocating any plot of land to the plaintiff.
In the defense statement dated September 21, 2021 and filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Mr Yakubu Abubakar, the Minister and FCDA informed the court that Zainab had erroneously claimed ownership of the said plot of the Abuja land through a Power of Attorney which the donor, one Haliru Malami later disowned as the purported seller.
Zainab through her company, Marumza Estate Development Company Limited had dragged Itban Global Resources Limited, Haliru Malami, FCT Minister and FCDA before a High Court of the FCT laying claim to ownership of plot 506, Zone B 09, Kado District, Abuja, having allegedly purchased the land from the FCDA through Itban Global Resources and Malami.
However, in their statement of defense, the 3rd and 4th respondents averred that before filing the court case, Zainab had allegedly given conflicting accounts of how the land was purportedly acquired through a former Minister of the FCT as well as acquisition by way of purchase from the 1st defendant.
They stated that the 1st defendant who allegedly sold the land, issued a letter on March, 4, 2021, denying ever selling the land and ever issuing Power of Attorney to the plaintiff.
They further argued that there was nothing in the records of their Department of Land Administration and the Abuja Geographic Information System, indicating that the plaintiff paid any money whether official or otherwise in respect of the land, adding that their review of events revealed that the registration of the purported Power of Attorney was irregular.
The 3rd and 4th defendants further claimed that upon the discovery that the plaintiff was laying claim to the plot of land through irregular documents, they voided and set aside a Certificate of Occupancy purportedly obtained from FCDA.
They therefore asked the court to dismiss the case of the plaintiff with cost because she is not entitled to any claim in the originating summons.
At the Tuesday ‘s proceedings, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, granted permission to the plaintiff to amend her statement of claim and subsequently fixed December 15 and 16 for definite hearing of the matter.
Justice Adeniyi had on July 11, declined a request by Zainab, for an injunctive order against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and three others over the disputed land.
Zainab, had through her counsel, Chief Sebastine Hon (SAN) filed a motion on notice praying the Abuja high court to issue an injunctive order to stop the FCT Minister and other defendants in her suit from taking any further actions on the disputed land.
The Judge had held that request for injunctive order at the stage of the suit would not only delay the hearing of the matter but will affect the substantive claims and counter claims in the case.