Residents and property owners at the Committee on Resettlement and Development (CRD) Layout in Lugbe, Abuja, are appealing for intervention from President Bola Tinubu and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike. They claim a property developer is harassing them and attempting to seize their land.

Despite taking the matter to court, the developer continues to intimidate residents. Recently, thugs allegedly hired by the developer stabbed a resident and demolished some houses in an attempt to annex part of the estate.

Residents report that thugs, acting on the developer’s orders, used bulldozers to pull down houses and loot properties. Abdulwasiu Mustapha, the community chairman, accused the developer of taking the law into his hands. He claimed the developer has assumed the role of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and Chief Security Officer by deploying people to demolish buildings and terrorize the community.

Mustapha stated that the CRD Layout was allocated to residents with title documents by the FCT Minister 15 years ago. He added that the community lived peacefully until the developer began his land-grabbing attempts, allegedly with some government officials’ connivance, despite two previous court rulings in favor of the CRD.

“Our community has existed in peace for more than 15 years until we started experiencing the activities of the land grabber,” Mustapha said. “We have made several efforts to resolve the matter with relevant authorities to no avail. He brought in thugs and hoodlums to terrorize the residents and demolish our homes. We have reported this to the Lugbe Police Station and even to the Commissioner of Police.”

Raphael Igu, a CRD landlord, said the community took the matter to court in 2011 to avoid a breach of public peace. The court affirmed their title documents were genuine, declaring them the rightful occupants of the layout.

“In 2007, he started making claims that the Federal Government had allocated this place to him,” Igu said. “Since then, we have not had any rest of mind. He will come here with thugs and criminals to harass us. Our people had to take him to court in 2011. The court trashed all his arguments, and the appellate court dismissed his case. Despite the court’s judgment, he is still harassing us and pulling down our houses.”

Residents are now seeking intervention from higher authorities to put an end to the developer’s actions. They hope that President Tinubu and Minister Wike will take immediate steps to protect their rights and restore peace in the community.

The CRD Layout residents are calling for justice and protection from the ongoing harassment. They urge the government to enforce court rulings and prevent further intimidation by the developer.

As the residents wait for a resolution, they continue to live in fear of more violence and property destruction. Their plea for intervention underscores the need for swift government action to uphold the rule of law and ensure the safety and security of all citizens.