Presidential committee accused of illegal sale of property

The Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) executing the White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the alienation of Federal Government Property at the Kaduna Polytechnic (Kadpoly), has been accused of contempt of court for disobeying and violating order of the high court in kaduna.

A former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Kadpoly chapter, Comrade Mustapha Yahaya Bida, filed a law suit in Kaduna state high court over alleged illegal trespassing on his residence by land grabbers, despite court injunction against the action.

When the case came up on Monday, 26th November 2024, the first defendant, PIC Secretary, Saminu Abubakar and others failed to appear in court.

However, speaking to journalists at the end of the sitting, counsel to the plaintiff, Barrister Aisha Musa, lamented that the defendant demolished some parts of the properties despite the court order from competent court of jurisdiction, restraining them.

Musa who spoke on behalf of her boss and lead counsel to the Plaintiff, Barrister Sani Katu (SAN), said “the matter ordinarily came up today, Monday for pretrial conference.”

She stressed that “However the first defendant, PIC sent letter to the court asking for adjournment. Despite that there’s a court order, they still went ahead and tempered with the properties by demolishing some parts of the properties, by disobeying the court order.

“And today they’re still not in court by sending letter asking for adjournment. “There was order of the court for parties to maintain statues quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

“The first defendants are in contempt of the court order by going ahead and disobeying the court order and temper with the properties.

“We did not objected to their letter asking for adjournment in the interest of the justice and fair hearing for all parties. If defendants fails to appear in court next sitting, we’ll make the necessary application for the next adjourned date.”

She remarked that the case has been adjourned to December 10th 2024 for pretrial conference by Justice E Andow.

The counsel added that “the PIC on landed property is part of FG, but the plaintiff, as bonafid staff of Kaduna polytechnic is the owner of the property by reason of allocation and offer given to him by PIC.”

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that Comrade Bida, who retired in 2024 after 39 years of service, reported that his allocated property at No. 13 Ribadu Road, Unguwan Rimi GRA, Gabasawa, Kaduna, had been unlawfully invaded.

He also pointed out, while lamenting in a statement, that his boy’s quarters and the fence were destroyed, and a new fence was erected, contravening the court’s order.

“A Kaduna State High Court issued an interim injunction restraining the land grabbers from trespassing, destroying, developing, or renaming on my property pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice,” Bida said.

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Besides, the court had ordered the Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State and officers of the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) not to invite Comrade Bida concerning the property until the motion on notice is resolved.

The situation escalated when Bida was summoned by the SIB, who informed him that part of his property had been allocated to another individual. He requested police assistance to visit the site and verify the claims, which he asserted were false.

During the police visit, it became apparent that the area claimed by the PIC operatives was merely plain land and not the boys’ quarters as alleged.

“They know they have powers over landed properties only, not plain land. Moreover, the gazetted procedure clearly states that properties must be sold ‘as is and where is,” it stated.

“Despite the evidence, the police insisted that Bida allow the land grabbers to enter and commence development on his property. He was shown an offer letter in the name of one Saminu Abubakar, who has not been located since the case began.

Bida, the longest-serving Chairman of ASUP in Kadpoly, claimed that many other staff members of Kaduna Polytechnic are facing similar challenges and have taken legal action. He believes his pursuit of legal redress has prompted the land grabbers to target his property.

He stated that he duly applied for the property, received an offer letter, and paid the required fees, including an additional 5% for administrative charges and the cost of obtaining a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

Meanwhile, Comrade Bida has urged the court and all relevant stakeholders to intervene to protect his property from illegal encroachment.

He emphasized that “justice must prevail to deter other land grabbers and reaffirm that no one is above the law.”

He also recalled that aggrieved Kadpoly staff recently petitioned the National Assembly over alleged involvement of managements of the polytechnic in what they termed outright sales of the school properties for personal gains.