Presidential Panel Sued Over Illegal Take Over Of Property

The Special Presidential Investigation Panel on Recovery of Public Property [SPIPRPP] has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly and illegally taking over a property belonging to a private investor, D. B. Mangal Ltd.

The Panel is headed by the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Prosecution and Chairman of the Special Investigation Panel on the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla.

The plaintiff told the court how SPIPRPP took over its property after the ownership title had been adjudicated upon and determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

It also narrated how the Panel sealed off its property and forcefully ejected, harassed and intimidated the occupants of the building.

The plaintiff, therefore, asked the court to order the panel to immediately vacate the premises.

It also prayed the court to order SPIPRPP to remove the inscription “SPIP Under Investigation” pasted and inscribed on various places on its property described as Plot 1405, Cadastral Zone AO5, Maitama, Abuja.

Also joined as defendants in the suit were the Petroleum Financial Corporate Ltd., the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.

Attached to the suit as exhibits were title documents including a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) no: 1951W-14fz-64cbr-10220-20, registered as No. 18125 in volume 90 of the Certificate of Occupancy Register in the Lands Registry Office, at Abuja, dated October 31, 2006 and undersigned by the then FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai.

Also attached to the originating summons was a Certified True Copy of the judgment of Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu of the FCT High in suit FCT/HC/238/2006, between the plaintiff and the defendants.