Frustrated residents of God’s Own Estate along Lokogoma Road, Abuja, were on Wednesday thrown into confusion as court officials, thugs, and over 300 armed police officers stormed the area to enforce a takeover of houses and forcefully eject occupants, including an orphanage home.
Eye witness account informed that the operation, which began in the early hours of the morning, saw heavily armed policemen and hired thugs break into homes, destroy gates, and move out residents’ belongings. Some occupants alleged that valuables, including electronics and cash, were stolen during the process.
One of the landowners, who spoke to journalists, said: “You come in the early hours of the morning and start breaking. They came with the connivance of the police to this estate that is very serene, very quiet. We have not had issues of stealing and all that. They came with about 10 trucks with policemen, with thugs, touts, street urchins. They came in here and started breaking into houses. Most of us here, we bought these properties. And there is an orphanage here”.
“So we are not saying that whoever has gotten court judgment should not enjoy the fruit of his judgment. But things should be rightly done. Things should be properly done. It is wrong and many of the people in this estate most of them are retired. I want residents of the estate to know that the peace and serenity we have been enjoying in this estate cannot continue because the Nigerian police have exposed this estate,” the visibly disturbed resident added.
Another house owner lamented: “Up to 80 percent of house owners in the estate were caught unawares, and their properties thrown out… some were thrown out while having their bath”.
Residents have called on the FCT Minister, the Inspector-General of Police, and other relevant authorities to intervene, insisting that due process should be followed in resolving the dispute and protecting the rights of lawful occupants.
IGP Cautions Officers
Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun has cautioned Officers against escorting parties over land recovery.
“Officers have no business escorting parties for land recovery disrupting legally existing occupations or meddling in civil claims without a demonstrable criminal record element. Every such incident erodes the neutrality of the force and opens us to disrepute.
“The line must be clear and any officer who crosses it will face disciplinary face disciplinary consequences. The credibility of this institution rests not only on our crime fighting capacity, but also on the ethical culture we’ll enforce from the top. Leadership by title is easy but leadership by example is the standard we must uphold. I do not expect perfection, but I insist on responsibility. Commissioners of police and assistant inspector generals must not become distract administrators, you must be present enraged and firm in correcting excesses,” he warned.
