A civil society organisation, Competent Governance for Accountability and Trust, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately arrest and bring to book the CEO of Zoe New Dawn Limited, Mr Stephen Akpa Achema, for his alleged role in a failed attempt by himself and Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited to fraudulently acquire a choice property in Abuja belonging to Enugu State Government.
The group also accused Mr Achema and Simonis Ventures of using thugs to invade and vandalise the development initiated by the state government and its partner, at parcel of land identified as Plot 804, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District, Abuja.
|
|
The property, which measures 1.4 hectares is being developed by the Enugu State Government and Tout Moi Nigeria Limited, a private sector partner.
In a statement issued by the National Coordinator of Competent Governance for Accountability and Civic Trust, Godwin Erheriene, in Abuja on Wednesday, the group said the alleged excesses by Mr Achema and Simonis Ventures constituted a grave threat to the President Bola Tinubu Administration’s effort to drive both local and foreign investment.
|
|
|
|---|
The group also alleged that Mr Achema and Simonis Ventures Limited had in addition embarked on a smear campaign of the police, especially the IGP Monitoring Unit headed by CP Akin Fakorede, to discourage them from discharging their lawful duty of protect the said property and construction workers.
It described Mr Achema as a “notorious land grabber,” reminding the IGP that Mr Achema was nabbed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 2 December 2022 for alleged N500 million land fraud. After allegedly jumping his administrative bail, he was rearrested on 9 August 2023.
It equally called the IGP’s attention to the fact that the FCT Police Command had in January 2023 arrested Mr Achema for alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining the sum of N1.716 billion from several subscribers by impersonating as the lawful owner of several properties within the FCT.
“Today, Achema has launched several attacks on the the Enugu State property in Wuye, Abuja, in manners typical of Abuja land grabbers.
“For instance, on December 27, 2025, he stormed the site at about 11:30am while workers were lawfully erecting an official billboard with coat of arms depicting the property as that of Enugu State Government.
“He behaved in an extremely violent manner, creating fear and panic in the whole environment. He threatened that he would mobilise hoodlums to chase out the workers.
“True to his threats, menacing hoodlums wielding various dangerous weapons invaded the property not long after he left, thereby causing commotion.
“Again, on December 28, 2025, Achema, stormed the site in the company of wild-looking hoodlums, who carried various dangerous weapons, with some dressing in military uniform.
“They forcefully removed the national flag hoisted at the site, destroyed official banners of Enugu State Government bearing the Nigerian coat of arms and took them away.
“On the same day, their lawyer, Adekunle Otitoju, also stormed the site, swearing that no one could restrain him from forcefully taking possession of the property. He behaved in ways that shamed the Nigerian Bar and temple of justice.
It called on the IGP to immediately arrest all those involved in the trespass, destruction of property, and forgery of a power of attorney to supposedly transfer Enugu State property to Simonis Ventures.
“We are, therefore, calling on the IGP to immediately arrests Achema and his accomplices. Nigeria is not an animal farm, but a country governed by laws. Failure to bring Achema, their lawyer (Otitoju) and those masquerading today as directors of Simonis Ventures Limited can only worsen the menace of land grabbing in the FCT,” the statement concluded.
The Enugu State Government had last December asserted its ownership of the piece of land, saying that Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited had no valid claim or interest in the said property.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, the General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Dr Gerald Asogwa, explained that investigations by both the police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had since established Enugu State Government as the rightful owners of the said property, noting that the land was currently being developed as Woodlands Estate by Tout Moi Nigeria Limited under a valid and subsisting contractual arrangement for Enugu State Government.
He explained that government applied to the FCT Administration for the plot of land in 1992, but the allocation was erroneously made in 1993 in favour of a non-existent entity, Enugu State State Property Development Corporation, instead of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation.
He, however, explained that when approached, the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS)/FCT cancelled the wrongful allocation and Plot 804, Wuye, was re-allocated to Enugu State Government as the rightful owner in 2023/2024.
“Therefore, the Right of Occupancy, Certificate of Occupancy, and all requisite building approvals were subsequently obtained in the name of Enugu State Government before the unlawful destruction carried out by agents of Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited,” he stated.
Mr Asogwa had, therefore, wondered how a non-existent entity could have transferred the ownership to Simonis Ventures Limited.
“There has never existed any parastatal, corporation, or company known as Enugu State Property Development Corporation at the time of allocation or thereafter. The allottee, therefore, lacked legal personality and contractual capacity ab initio.
“Yet Achema and Simonis claim that in 2002, the said non-existent entity purportedly transferred the land to Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited. They used a fake and fraudulent Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated 25/02/2002, suspiciously witnessed in 2005.
“Instructively, the said Power of Attorney was not sealed, had no Governor’s consent as required by law, was not co-signed by any government official, and failed to disclose the name or designation of any lawful executor. The document was clearly concocted to deceive authorities and is attached as Exhibit 3,” Asogwa explained.
He also added that the report of EFCC’s investigation shows that Ayogu Eze clearly stated that the said portion of land belongs to Enugu State Government.
“Ayogu Eze put it clearly to the EFCC that the allocation was for the Enugu State Government and that he handed the document to the then governor in 1993. Very importantly, he stated that he could have converted it over two since 1993 if he had any such intention,” Asogwa had concluded.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
