Widow sues Ondo deputy gov over Abuja land dispute

A widow and her children have dragged Ondo State Deputy Governor, Olayide Owolabi Adelami, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, over a 2,500-square-meter plot of land they claim belongs to their late husband and father.

The disputed property, Plot 900 at Kaura (B11) District, Abuja, was originally allocated to the late Mr. Ayomide Fasan on February 2, 2000, under Statutory Right of Occupancy No. FCT/ABU/OD.700, according to documents made available to journalists.

Trouble began in 2004 when the original title documents were stolen from Mr. Fasan.

The family swore an affidavit of loss, published notices in newspapers, and applied for re-certification of their rights of occupancy with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS).

Despite repeated requests from their lawyers for Certified True Copies, approval was delayed until 2008.

However, bureaucratic setbacks meant the process was still incomplete by the time Fasan died in 2011.

When the family renewed the process in 2022, they were shocked to discover that the re-certification had allegedly been concluded years earlier and a new Certificate of Occupancy issued without their consent.

“This was greatly shocking because there is no evidence within our records that they ever received any such communication.

“The process should have required valid identification, an authority letter, and biometric capture, none of which was done,” a source in the Lands Department said.

A site inspection revealed the land had been fenced and converted into a cement brick-making yard.

Further searches at AGIS indicated alterations in records, including the creation of a second file for the same plot in 2000.

The Fasan family petitioned the FCT Administration in July 2023, which led to the placement of an administrative caveat on the land. Despite this, they allege construction continued under the authority of Deputy Governor Adelami.

Adelami’s lawyers have filed a preliminary objection, citing Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, which grants immunity to serving governors and their deputies.

“The first defendant can only be subjected to trial after his tenure as Deputy Governor,” the notice stated.

For the widow and her children, the battle is more than a legal tussle.

“This is not just about land,” a family member said.

“It is about dignity, memory, and the rights of ordinary Nigerians who must be protected from political predators.”