Court Stops FCT Minister From Further Demolishing Home Of Tonto Dikeh’s Ex-Lover, Kpokpogri
Category: Nigeria News
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja on Thursday, restrained
the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Muhammad Bello, from
further demolishing the residence of Abuja socialite, Prince Joseph Kpokpogri.
The order followed an ex-parte application that Kpokpogri, who is
a former lover of popular Nollywood actress, Tonto Dikeh, filed through his
team of lawyers led by Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN.
Ozekhome told the
court that some persons from the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA,
had on May 14, invaded his client’s residence, “accompanied by a multitude of
heavily armed policemen and bulldozers and excavators”, and commenced the
demolition of his house, beginning with the boys quarters.
Also See: Tonto Dikeh Forced The Relationship on Me, I Never Promised Her Marriage - Prince Kpokpogri Reveals
He told the court that agents of the FCDA threatened to return for total
demolition of Kpokpogri’s house, even though they failed to give any reason
for their action.
Consequently, Ozekhome begged the court to
intervene in the matter, in the interest of justice.
In his
ruling, Justice Charles Agbaza said he found merit in the ex-parte application
and accordingly granted all the reliefs that were sought by the Applicant.
Also See: Tonto Dikeh And Her Ex, Prince Kpokpogri Starts Fresh War
“I have carefully perused the affidavit of the Applicant and also
listened to the counsel. This court finds merit in the application and it is
satisfied that the Applicant has fulfilled all the conditions to warrant the
exercise of discretion in his favour.
“The Application has merit
and it is accordingly granted”, Justice Agbaza held.
He ordered
the service of the court order on all the Defendants in the suit, even as he
adjourned the matter till July 15 to hear the substantive case.
Also See: Police Confirms Arrest of Prince Kpokpogri, Gives Reason
Aside from the FCT Minister, other Defendants in the suit are the
Federal Capital Territory Administration and the Federal Capital Development
Authority, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Federal Housing Authority,
and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Specifically, the
court issued an order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants either
by themselves, agents, officials, privies, all those purporting to have
derived title from them or other persons howsoever called from trespassing on
or further trespassing on, demolishing, or further demolishing the property
known as Plots 203 and 204, 27 Road, Gusape District, Apo Estate, Abuja,
covered by letters of allocation issued by the Federal Housing Authority with
Ref. No. FHA/BD/ES/APO/P.203 and Ref. No.
FHA/BD/ES/APO/P.204 or
from evicting the occupants of the said property or in any way interfering
with the plaintiff’s exclusive right of possession of the said property
pending the determination of the motion on notice.
In the substantive suit, Kpokpogri, is among other things, praying the court
to order the Defendants to pay him aggravated and general damages to the tune
of N2 billion.
In an affidavit he personally deposed to,
Kpokpogri, told the court that he is the beneficial owner and the person in
exclusive possession of all that property known as Plots 203 and 204, 27 Road,
Apo Estate, Abuja, covered by letters of allocation issued by Federal Housing
Authority with Ref. No. HA/BD/ES/APO/P.203 and Ref. No. FHA/BD/ES/APO/P.204
respectfully.
He told the court that he is entitled to the
statutory right of occupancy and exclusive possession of the said plots, which
he said were lawfully acquired from two separate individuals, Barr. Muyideen
Obans and Mrs Alaba Akindele, who were the original allottees of the lands
from the (AGF) 6th Defendant.
“The letters of allocation of the
land to the original allottees dated the 14th of January, 2015 with Ref. No.
FHA/BD/ES/APO/P.203 and Ref. No. FHA/BD/ES/APO/P.204, issued by the Federal
Housing Authority, Abuja are hereby Exhibits A and Al respectively.
Kpokpogri said upon completion of the multi-million naira building
and at the celebration events marking the opening of the building, many staff
of the 5th Defendant were there to celebrate with him.
“I fully
completed the building on the said property and parked into same since 2021
and I have been living in the said property with my family therein until the
demolition of the building by the agents of the Defendant.
“The
Defendants did not issue or serve any stop-work order notifying me to stop the
construction of the building even though the Defendants were aware of the
construction of my building from the foundation to the completion, and were
indeed supervising it.
“And no demolition notice was ever issued
to me. The staff of the 6th Defendant duly supervised the construction of
Plaintiff’s building on the property from the beginning to the end without
them raising any issue on the property.
“The property was never
marked for demolition by the Defendants until one week to the demolition,
precisely on the 7th of May, 2022; and no reason whatsoever was given for the
marking of the building.
“After the building was marked for
demolition, I immediately contacted the 6th Defendant who informed me that
they were not privy to the marking of the building for demolition and that the
marking must have come from the FCTA, FCDA and AMMC under the instruction of
the 1st Defendant (FCT Minister).
“The 5th Defendant (FHA) also
assured me that there was nothing to worry about as there was nothing wrong
with my property; and that my property was not among the properties that the
Federal Housing Authority had issues with and over which it had have invited
the owners for resolution.
“Before I could realize what was
happening, precisely on the Saturday morning of 14 May 2022, the agents of the
1st to 4th Defendants invaded my house vi et armis and accompanied by a
multitude of heavily armed policemen and bulldozers and excavators and
commenced demolition of my house, boys quarters and appurtenances thereto, at
Plots 203 and 204, 27 Road, Apo Estate, Abuja.
“I was at home on
that fateful morning of 14th May 2022 when the agents of the 1st to 4th
Defendants without any warning came with bulldozers and excavators to demolish
my 6-Bedroom detached house etc.
“No order of the court was first
sought and obtained by the Defendants before they demolished my house, and no
court of law ever made any order to that effect.
“The defendants
just arbitrarily acted at their own whims and caprices with impunity and with
reckless disregard for the harm, financial loss, mental and psychological
trauma they were causing to me.
“The cruelty, savagery and hasty
manner with which the demolition was carried out could only have been
motivated by malice aforethought.
“Even though I was physically at
home, I was not allowed to remove anything from my house in spite of my cries
and pleas to that effect. All entreaties for them to give me a little time,
like one hour, to remove things from the house fell on deaf ears.
“No reason or explanation for the demolition was given to me by
the Defendants.
“The Defendants’ agents, watched indifferently and
indeed enjoyed themselves, as my edifices were wantonly pulled down. Assuming
that as hinted by Barr. Uche Chukwu Nduagu of the Federal Housing Authority,
that the master plan was being altered and redesigned so as to cause a new
road to pass through my house, at the present moment, there is no sign of any
on-going construction of road anywhere in and around the Estate.
“Also,
if there is any such altering or re-designing of the master plan, the 5th
Defendant would have been involved (and it was not); and it is not only my
house that would have been demolished but other persons’ own.
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