Stories by Sarah NEGEDU
The ongoing demolition of structures in Kuchibedna community, near Gwarinpa, Abuja, has reignited tensions as natives continue to resist vacating Plot 67, Cadastral Zone C05, Kafe District.
But the developer, Winning Clause Nigeria Ltd., insists that residents were compensated on three separate occasions but refused to leave, despite four court judgments ordering their eviction from the said plot.
Counsel to the company, O. Marx Ikongbeh, told journalists during the enforcement exercise by the FCT Administration that the said land was allocated to the company in 2011 under the Abuja Mass Housing Programme.
Ikongbeh explained that at the time, about 20 houses were already on the plot, and Winning Clause engaged the residents and paid compensation with the understanding that they would relocate.
He said, “Compensation was paid not once, not twice, but three times 2011, 2015 and 2016. Despite these payments and multiple court judgments, the occupants refused to move.”
Ikongbeh explained that after the first compensation, the community approached the FCT High Court, which in 2016 ruled that the residents had no further legal claim and declared them trespassers.
However, he said they continued discussions on humanitarian grounds as the settlement grew, partly because some residents sold parcels of land to non-natives.
He added that a fresh suit filed by the community after the second compensation was dismissed as an abuse of court process.
According to Ikongbeh, the village chief, Mr. George Gozebo, originally the first plaintiff, reportedly sold his property and left, only to return later and rebuild on the estate land.
The developer sought enforcement again, and in 2021, the FCT High Court reaffirmed the company’s ownership and directed the FCT Minister to take possession of the land, which the villagers appealed.
The Court of Appeal’s February 2025 judgment finally settled the matter, upholding the developer’s ownership and ordering the community to vacate while mandating the FCT Minister to ensure vacant possession.
Ikongbeh stressed that the ongoing removal exercise is backed by four separate court judgments, three from the High Court and one from the Court of Appeal, all declaring the settlement illegal.
He also disclosed that beyond earlier compensations, the community requested funds for traditional rites to “relocate their ancestors,” which were paid in 2016 under an agreement mediated by the Sa’peyi of Garki.
“Despite all these payments, they refused to leave and instead expanded, selling land illegally to non-natives who built without any approval,” he lamented.
He further noted that the settlement had extended into the alignment of Ring Road 3, occupying land outside the original village boundary.
Leaders of the indigenous Gbagyi community in Kuchibedna have however condemned the demolition, describing it as forceful.
They claim security operatives and heavy machinery were deployed, and many of the demolished homes belonged to law-abiding residents.
The community is calling for an independent investigation into the exercise, including reports of force used and alleged casualties, and has appealed to the FCT Minister and legislative committees to intervene.
