From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Bello, yesterday told Abuja High Court how the daughter of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Zainab, allegedly forged documents to lay claim to ownership of a disputed plot of land in Abuja.
He stated this in his statement of defence filed in the suit by Zainab. He denied allocating any plot of land located at plot 506, Zone B09, Kado District to her.
He averred that there was nothing to show that Zainab ever applied for land in the FCT or made any payment officially or otherwise to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to enable her entitle to own any land in Abuja.
The minister and FCDA informed the court that Zainab claimed ownership of the plot of the Abuja land through a power of attorney, which the donor, one Haliru Malami, later disowned as purported seller.
Zainab through her company, Marumza Estate Development Company Limited had dragged Itban Global Resources Limited, Haliru Malami, FCT Minister and FCDA to court laying claim to ownership of Plot 506, Zone B 09, Kado District, Abuja, having allegedly purchased the land from the FCDA through Itban Global Resources and Malami.
However, in their defence, the third and fourth respondents averred that before filing the court case, Zainab had allegedly given conflicting accounts of how the land was purportedly acquired through a former FCT minister as well as acquisition by way of purchase from the 1st defendant.
Justice Olukayode Adeniyi granted permission to the plaintiff to amend her statement of claim and fixed December 15 and 16 for definite hearing of the matter. He had on July 11, declined a request by Zainab, for an injunctive against the minister three others over the disputed land.
She had filed a motion on notice praying the court to issue an injunctive order to stop the minister and other defendants from taking further actions on the disputed land.