Abuja Property Demolition: Court Orders FHA, Others to Maintain Status

Alex Enumah in Abuja

A Federal Capital Territory High Court siting in Bwari, Abuja has ordered parties claiming ownership of an Abuja property to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the suit before the court.

Tulwu Integrated Properties Ltd is currently locked in legal battle against the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and AIBEN  Properties Ltd over a property located along 5th Avenue, 52 Road, Gwarinpa Il Estate, Abuja.

Tulwu Integrated Properties Ltd had approached the court in a  Suit No: FCT/HC/BW/CV/227/25, and

Motion No: M/16887/25, seeking an order restraining FHA and a private developer AIBEN from encroaching into the land until the determination of a pending case before the court.

Ruling in the ex parte application on January 6, 2026, Justice M. A. Madugu, however ordered parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the main suit.

“Upon reading the Motion Ex parte along with accompanying affidavit of Benjamin Silas, including the exhibits and the written address filed with the application.

And upon hearing Abdul-Aziz Ibrahim (SAN), counsel to the claimant/applicant, this court hereby makes the following order(s):

1. The parties herein shall maintain status quo in respect of the parcel of land along 5th Avenue, 52 Road, Gwarinpa Il, Phase I, Abuja, pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice with Ref. No: M/16886/25”, the court held.

Meanwhile, a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the order dated January 14, 2026 by the court’s registrar disclosed that the judge has adjourned the case to January 21, 2026, for hearing of the Motion on Notice with ref. no

M/16886/25.”

Tulwu Integrated Ltd said the case started  when Aiben Properties Limited encroached into the land and carved out about 6,000 square metres, allegedly with the backing of FHA officials.

Following the alleged encroachment and demolition of parts of the fence of the land by the FHA and AIBEN, it rushed to the court and obtained an order on July 1, 2025, restraining the defendants from encroaching on the said property.

The claimant/ applicant disclosed that despite the court order, armed police officers accompanied by FHA officials went  to the land on December 15, 2025, and demolished its fence again during which the company’s pregnant managing director was allegedly assaulted.

Shortly after the demolition, the rival developer moved equipment onto the land at night and commenced excavation, prompting it to seek further court injunctions.

The crux of the dispute is the size of the land allocated at 5th Avenue, 52 Road, Gwarinpa Estate.

While the FHA claims the original allocation was 16,000 square metres, with an alleged illegal encroachment of an additional 6,000 square metres, Tulwu Integrated Ltd insists that official documents clearly show the land measures about 22,000 square metres after survey.

According to the company, the land was initially allocated by the FHA to Savannah Suites & Restaurant Ltd and later assigned to Tulwu Integrated  Ltd via a consent letter dated March 13, 2013. It added that subsequent surveys and approvals by the FHA revised the land size to over 22,000 square metres.

“The allocation letter itself stated that the land size was subject to survey, and after survey, the area was clearly stated as over 20,000 square metres,” the company said.

Tulwu Integrated Ltd also cited a Change of Use approval issued by the FHA in July 2023, which, it said, expressly recognised the land size as 22,017.233 square metres.

The company said that since acquiring the land in 2013, all official correspondence, billings and receipts from the FHA consistently reflected the larger land size.

The company added that in May 2025, it applied for development approval, submitting architectural and engineering designs, which were vetted and approved by relevant FHA departments. However, it alleged that the FHA failed to issue the bill required for payment to commence development.