A Lagos High Court has fixed hearing for October 18 in a suit filed by a businessman, Sadiq Eldau, against the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) chairman, Col. Muhammad Abdallah (rtd), over the ownership of a land in Lekki.
Eldau is praying Justice Sherifat Solebo for a declaration, among others, that the property designated as Block 114, Plot 1, Lekki Scheme 1, Victoria Island, was properly and lawfully acquired by him.
Joined as defendants in the suit are Aboki Abdullahi, Innocent Achi, the Registrar of Titles, Land Bureau Services of Lagos State and Incorporated Trustee of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Eldau, in his April 28, last year amended statement of claims, averred that Abdullah was the allottee of the property.
The allottee, he claimed, sold it to him through his agent who is Abdullahi.
He stated that the interest of Achi and RCCG, rivalled his claim to ownership of the land.
He explained that sometime in 2005, Abdullahi approached him with an offer to sell the property, saying that the NDLEA boss was deceased, but survived by his widow and one Mrs Maria Abdallah.
Eldau averred that Abdullahi informed him that Mrs Maria Abdallah by a March 22, 2004 Power of Attorney authorised the sale of the land for N35 million, which he paid and was given a Deed of Assignment as evidence of the transaction.
He proceeded to “invest heavily on the land by putting it in proper shape, securing it and also applied for the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O)”.
Eldau averred that since 2005, he was in peaceful possession of the property until sometime in 2009, when the third respondent Achi appeared and claimed ownership of the land.
Achi, Eldau averred, informed him that the NDLEA boss was not dead and was the one who sold the land to him.
The matter was reported at a police station, where all the interested parties, except the agent, met.
He alleged further that the ownership of the lanf was yet to be resolved before the NDLEA boss sold the land again to RCCG.
However, the NDLEA boss in his statement of defence denied some of the plaintiff’s claims.
Abdallah said he neither instructed the agent (Abdullahi) to sell the property on his behalf nor did he give the agent title documents.
He averred that it was at the police station, that he found out about the falsified probate paper kept and used by the agent to sell the land.
The NDLEA boss averred further that Mrs. Maria Abdallah, who purportedly authorised the sale of the land, was the agent’s wife and not his.
Source: The Nation
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