From Godwin Tsa Abuja
A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Robert Baba Idoko, has threatened to sue the Nasarawa State Government over alleged unlawful demolition of his multi-million edifice at Gbegyedna community, behind City College of Education, Maraba, Karu Local Government Area by the state government.
Idoko, in a petition by his counsel, Ndubisi Kalu, to the Governor of Nasarawa State and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, on November 20, 2024, is demanding N500 million, representing the value of the assets and general damages as compensation.
The petition was equally sent to the General Manager, Nasarawa State Urban Development, Lafia, and copied to the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission.
In the petition, Kalu said: “It is our client’s instruction that sometimes in June, 2024, he purchased a land at Gbegyedna community behind City College of Education Maraba, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, measuring 120ft by 100ft, wherein the demolished edifice was built with his life’s savings.
“That after he purchased the above described land, he in company of his building engineer, approached the Nasarawa Urban Development Board (NUDB) in Abacha Road, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa, wherein he purchased a file opening a form at the cost of N5,000, for necessary documentations, and further submitted three copies of building plans to NUDB for approval alongside the purchased form.
“Our client was further advised by staff of NUDB to get a survey plan, which he did through a staff of NUDB, who designed the survey plan for a fee and thereafter, the survey plan was presented and approved.
“That he followed all preliminary procedures, as he was officially informed by the NUDB officials before he commenced construction of the edifice on the land.
“He paid for and obtained a bill of payment, which he followed in making the required payment to the NUDB and a receipt for building approval from the NUDB was issued to him,” the petition read.
However, our client was surprised and shocked to see a legion of police, civil defence, vigilante and staff of the NUDB, who invaded his newly built house on October 3, 2024, at about 7am with bulldozers and demolished the structure without any prior notice.
Efforts by Idoko to get explanations from the NUDB staff that came with the armed officers for the demolition were not successful as they could not say a word.
He said when he went to the NUDB office for answers, he was told by an official that the demolition was carried out because he refused to bring his title document, an excuse which he described as totally incorrect.
“Upon further enquiry at the NUDB office, he was told that the property where he built his house belonged to a Catholic priest, who has presented/shown his title document to the NUDB upon demand and which has been judged to be authentic, since our client failed to present his.
“It is obvious that the NUDB has a paymaster, who masterminded the mindless destruction of our client’s developed property.
“That our client has suffered psychological trauma, as a result of the action of the staff of the NUDB in destroying his property without any justification known to law and has not been able to return to his base in the United Kingdom.
“That his inability to go back to the UK has caused him his job in the UK because he was given three weeks to return and resume work.
“We have the instructions of our client’s to demand for the immediate payment of N500 million as special and general damages within seven days, beginning from the day you received this letter. If you fail or neglect to meet the demand in this letter within the stipulated time, we shall be left with no option than to resort to a court of competent jurisdiction where we shall be asking for substantial sum as damages against you.
“It is our clients’ final instruction that N650 million be paid to our client as the said amount represents the value of the assets therein on or before September 26, 2022.
“Take notice that this letter serves as a pre-action notice as we have the instruction of our client to approach the court for redress if the state fails to accede to our request as stated above.”