An Abuja Magistrate Court has disowned an alleged directive used by the Nigeria Police Force to take over a property belonging to Clazi Nigeria Limited at Guzape District of the Federal Capital Territory.
Magistrate Farida Ibrahim of the Magistrate’s Court, Jiwa, Abuja, said she never issued any order authorising the police to take possession of Plot 1653, Cadastral Zone A09, remove security personnel stationed there by Clazi Nigeria Limited and Ms Ngozi Abakporo, or hand control of the property to other persons.
In a ruling delivered on October 23, the magistrate directed the police to immediately restore possession of the property to those from whom it was taken and return the removed security personnel.
She also ordered the officers involved to stop further actions based on the alleged authority of her court.
The magistrate further directed the Inspector-General of Police and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, to produce any written order purportedly authorising the takeover.
The ruling followed a direct criminal complaint filed by Ghali Muhammed Abdul and Kingsley James Awodi against Clazi Nigeria Limited and Abakporo. The case was registered as DCR/JW/195/2026.
The complainants had alleged that the police took over the Guzape property and removed the security personnel under a directive attributed to the magistrate.
However, Ibrahim said the court’s records showed that it had only referred the complaint to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 7, for investigation and a report. It had not authorised the takeover.
Magistrate directs parties back to FCT High Court
In a separate ruling on October 27, the magistrate declined jurisdiction over the criminal complaint, struck it out and directed the parties to return to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where the substantive dispute is pending.
She held that allegations concerning the enforcement or disobedience of an order made by the High Court should be brought before the court that issued the order.
The magistrate specifically referred the parties to Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1078/26 to seek appropriate remedies over the alleged disobedience of the October 14, 2026 order.
Meanwhile, Clazi Nigeria Limited and Abakporo have asked the FCT High Court to dismiss a fresh suit filed by Abdul, arguing that the court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
In their preliminary objection, the defendants relied on the doctrine of res judicata, contending that the dispute had already been determined in an earlier case and that the Court of Appeal had upheld the judgment in their favour.
They said the earlier proceedings, Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/1383/2024, involved Mohammed Babawo Adamu against Clazi Nigeria Limited and three others.
The defendants maintained that the present claimants were privies to the parties in the earlier case and were therefore bound by its outcome.
They argued that the fresh suit amounted to an attempt to reopen issues already decided by the courts.
The dispute over the Guzape property is therefore before the FCT High Court, while the magistrate has made clear that she issued no directive authorising the police takeover.
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