By Phillip Nwosu
A property owner, Mr. Abdulahi Abdurrahman Yahaya, has raised the alarm over what he describes as an orchestrated attempt by a tenant, in connivance with some officers of the Nigeria Police Force, to fraudulently take over his property located in Gwarinpa, Abuja.
Yahaya, who is calling for urgent intervention by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), alleged that his property at Road 69, Plot 750A, Gwarinpa is being unlawfully occupied, developed, and commercialized by one Mr. Collins Eselemo, a former tenant, with the backing of police officers attached to Zone 7 Police Headquarters, FCT Command.
Yahaya to journalists in Abuja that Mr. Eselemo initially rented a two-bedroom apartment in the compound through his younger brother, Adamu Abdurrahman, and a family agent, Mr. Mubarack, in 2018, but defaulted on rent payments after the first year. Yahaya said he was away from the country for medical reasons during that time and only returned to find that the tenant had stopped paying rent altogether but remained on the premises.
“He turned from a tenant to a landlord overnight,” Yahaya said, with visible frustration. “He has not paid a kobo since the first year, and now he is building new structures in the compound and subletting to unsuspecting tenants. He claims to be the owner of the house.”
According to Yahaya, efforts to get the appropriate authorities to intervene have met stiff resistance. He said he reported the matter to the Abuja Development Control Department, which visited the site and ordered Mr. Eselemo to stop ongoing construction. “Despite the warning, Mr. Collins continued building. I also reported him to the police, but he kept ignoring their invitations and only sent his lawyer, Barrister Jacob Faye, who instead insulted the officers,” Yahaya said. In an unexpected twist, Yahaya said on July 11, he was summoned to Zone 7 Police Headquarters following a complaint lodged by Mr. Eselemo, accusing him of impersonating the owner of the property. Despite presenting evidence of ownership, Yahaya was reportedly detained by the police.
“They told me they were detaining me because the complainant accused me of falsely claiming ownership,” he recounted. “My lawyer requested to see the complainant, but they refused. Eventually, I was asked to produce sureties and even pay money before I was released.”
He further claimed that despite being summoned again on July 14, the complainant failed to appear, and police officers again threatened him with detention if he did not submit property documents — documents he says are at his residence. According to Yahaya, the officers later demanded money before allowing him to leave.
Yahaya also alleged that the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), and two unnamed officers who never wore uniforms, were A aiding Mr. Eselemo in the ongoing encroachment. “The police locked the premises at my request after Mr. Collins refused to appear, but he came back the same night and broke the padlock with his CSO, continuing construction work as if nothing happened,” he said.
As the matter escalates, Yahaya fears for his safety and is appealing to the Inspector General of Police to personally wade into the case.
“Barrister Faye has vowed to frustrate me because I refused to sell the house to his client. His client, Mr. Collins, has now laid claim to my house, is building on it, and the police are looking the other way. This is nothing but impunity,” Yahaya said.
He also claimed that tenants currently residing on the property had confessed to him that Mr. Eselemo presented himself to them as the landlord and issued receipts for rent paid over the years — evidence Yahaya says he now possesses.
The case raises questions about the growing concern of property hijacking in Abuja and the role law enforcement officers play in what often begins as civil tenancy disagreements but escalate into full-blown criminal takeovers.
Legal experts say that while tenancy issues typically fall under civil law, matters involving document falsification, illegal construction, and impersonation may warrant criminal investigation — but only if handled impartially.
“The moment the police start siding with one party, the entire justice process is compromised,” said Usman Yusuf, a property rights lawyer in Abuja. “The Inspector General must investigate the officers at Zone 7. If a tenant can detain a landlord through police machinery, then we have a systemic failure.”
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