Court to Decide Next Step in FHA, Developer Land Dispute

An FCT High Court sitting in Bwari has reserved ruling in a suit filed against the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and AIBEN Properties Ltd over the alleged encroachment on a property located in Gwarimpa, Abuja.

Justice M.A. Madugu reserved the ruling after hearing an application by the plaintiff, Tulwu Integrated Ltd, seeking to amend its court processes in suit No. FCT/HC/BW/CV/227/25. The judge said a date for the ruling would be communicated to the parties.
The claimant’s lead counsel, Godwin Ogboji (SAN), requested leave to amend the writ of summons, statement of claim and witness statement on oath, arguing that the amendments were necessary to include facts omitted from the original filings. However, counsel to the defendants, Ayodeji Oloyede and Ademola Adeleyin, opposed the application, contending that granting it would prejudice their defence.
Tulwu Integrated Ltd instituted the suit against AIBEN Properties Ltd and the FHA over the alleged encroachment on its property along 5th Avenue, 52 Road, Gwarimpa II Estate, Abuja.
The plaintiff alleged that AIBEN Properties Ltd, with the backing of FHA officials, carved out about 6,000 square metres from its land. Following the alleged encroachment and demolition of parts of the property’s fence, the company approached the court and obtained a restraining order on July 1, 2025.
It recalled that on January 6, the court also restrained the FHA and AIBEN Properties Ltd from further encroaching on the disputed property. Despite the order, the company alleged that on December 15, 2025, armed police officers accompanied by FHA officials returned to the site, demolished the fence and allegedly assaulted its pregnant managing director.
The plaintiff further claimed that shortly after the demolition, AIBEN Properties Ltd moved equipment onto the land at night and began excavation, prompting it to seek additional court injunctions.
While the FHA maintained that the original allocation measured 16,000 square metres and that an additional 6,000 square metres was illegally occupied, Tulwu Integrated Ltd insisted that official records and survey documents confirmed the land measured about 22,000 square metres.
According to the company, the land was originally allocated by the FHA to Savannah Suites & Restaurant Ltd before being assigned to Tulwu Integrated Ltd through a consent letter dated March 13, 2013. It added that subsequent surveys and approvals revised the land size to over 22,000 square metres.
The company said the allocation letter clearly indicated that the land size was subject to survey and that the completed survey confirmed an area exceeding 22,000 square metres. It also cited a Change of Use approval issued by the FHA in July 2023, which recognised the land size as 22,017.233 square metres.
Tulwu Integrated Ltd maintained that since acquiring the property in 2013, all official correspondence, bills and receipts issued by the FHA consistently reflected the 22,000 square metres measurement. It added that after applying for development approval in May 2025 and securing the necessary vetting and approvals, the FHA allegedly failed to issue the required bill that would enable it commence development of the property.