By TAIYE AGBAJE

Property owners and residents of Comfort Royal Estate in Abuja has sought for an order of perpetual injunction restraining a property firm, Skill Team Limited, and others from forcefully evicting them.

The claimants, in a writ of summons filed by their counsel, Reuben Atabo, SAN, at the Abuja High Court, also sought an order restraining the defendants, including the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, from trespassing on the property.

They prayed the court to nullify any purported document of title or building approval which Skill Team Limited is using to claim ownership of the respective property or houses of the claimants located within Comfort Royal Estate, Plot 347, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, Abuja.

They equally sought a declaration that the sale of the respective parcel of land at the estate by the 1st defendant (Shaibu Osilama) to the respective claimants in the suit is valid and subsisting.

The claimants, therefore, sought damages in the sum of N500 million for trespass on the property, and for the embarrassment, agony and pain caused them by the unnecessary trespass on the property by the 2nd defendant (Skill Team Ltd) and its officials, among other reliefs.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Registered Trustees of Comfort Royal Estate Property Owners and Residents Association Apo-Dutse, Abuja is the 1st claimant in the suit marked: CV/3900/25.

Mr Michael Mukwuzi, Mrs Lilian Igwebuike, Mr Adeboye Popoola, Mr Dick Okezie, Mrs Amegbo Osuashi, Ogbunude Uchenna, Mr Victor Obiejie, Dr Joyce Igwebuike, Mr Cornelius Adeboye and 10 others are also named as 2nd to 20th claimants respectively.

The claimants sued Shaibu Osilama (Carrying on business under the Name and Style of Nuel Osilama & Partners), Skills Team Limited, FCT Minister, Nuel Osilama & Partners Ltd and Nuel Osilama Global Investment Ltd as 1st to 5th defendants respectively.

The suit, dated Oct. 7, was filed by the senior lawyer same date.

In their statement of claim, they said the the 1st claimant was incorporated as registered trustees on December 29, 2022 under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), CAP. C20, LFN, 2004, with Registration Number: 195726.

According to them, the 2nd to 20th claimants are Nigerian citizens, business men, civil servants of various addresses who reside at Comfort Royal Estate at Dutse District, Abuja.

The claimants averred that sometime between 2013 and 2016, the 1st defendant (Shaibu) advertised the sale of the parcel of land at Comfort Royal Estate to them.

They said after careful consideration of the location as well as the prices as advertised by the 1st , 4th and 5th defendants, they decided to purchase the parcel of land.

The claimants further averred that the parcel of land measuring about 2.010 hectares {i.e 20099.36 sqm) was acquired by the 2nd defendant from the FCT Minister but was sold to the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants by the 2nd defendant.

?Further to paragraph 9 above, the claimants state that the parcel of land was divided into plots measuring between 300 square metres to 415 square metres, and was sold by the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants to the claimants between 2013 and 2016,? they said.

The claimants stated that between 2013 and 2016, they respectively paid sums ranging from N6.5 million to N8.5 million in respect of their various parcel of land in the estate.

They said upon the payment and issuance of receipts, they were issued with letters of allocation from the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants to cover their respective areas of allocation.

They said the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants gave them building plans as approved by the Department of Development Control (DDC) for Comfort Royal Estate.

According to them, among the conditions to be fulfilled upon the allocation of their respective parcel of land was for them to develop the property timeously.

Against this condition, the claimants stated that upon the receipt of the building plan, they went into construction of their respective houses and completed the construction of their respective houses.

They said they moved into their various houses between 2013 and 2016 with their respective families.

They, however, alleged that sometime in 2024, the 2nd defendant (Skill Team Ltd), through its officials, came to the estate, claiming ownership of their respective houses.

?Upon the claimants? inquiry, the claimants confirmed that it was the 2nd defendant who sold the parcel of land to the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants and who subsequently sold the plots to the claimants.

?The claimants shall rely on the doctrine of laches and acquiescence to defeat the claim of the 2nd defendant.

?This is because: A) The 2nd defendant stood by from 2013 and 2016, failing to claim title to the disputed property.

?B) The claimants developed their respective properties between 2013 and 2016 without any interference from the 2nd defendant or her agents, privies, servants.

?C) The respective claimants have been staying in the property for over 10 years without any disturbance or claim from anyone including the 2nd defendant,$ they said.

The claimants averred that they received various letters dated August 7 from the 2nd defendant with the caption: ?RE: Acceptance for Sale of Parcel of Land within Comfort Royal Estate?,? giving them 14 days to pay various sums of money to repurchase the parcel of land sold to them between 2013 and 2016.

The claimants stated that some of them are retired civil servants, widows, business men and women, who are already facing economic hardship in the country and not in a position to repurchase the parcel of land sold to them between 2013 and 2016 at an exorbitant price.

They said that they had already made full payments to the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants in respect of their respective parcels of land which were duly transferred to the 2nd defendant.

They said they then gave a notice to the 1st, 4th and 5th defendants to produce evidence of all monies transferred to the 2nd defendant.

They alleged that Skill Team Ltd had concluded arrangements to forcefully eject them from their respective houses in the estate, and resell same to third parties without regard to their investment in their respective houses.

The aggrieved homeowners and the residents, therefore, prayed the court to intervene.

The matter is yet to be fixed for hearing as at the time of filing the report. (NAN)

Update news