A business in Akwa Ibom State has taken the matter of the State Police Command’s alleged land invasion and violation of its basic rights to the Human Rights Community.
During a press briefing in Uyo on Friday, Clifford Thomas, Esq., a human rights lawyer and chairman of the Akwa Ibom Human Rights Community, revealed that the firm’s legal team has decided to sue the command. Thomas urged the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Police Affairs, and the Police Service Commission to step in and bring the command under control.
In the appeal, Thomas stated that the Nature Control Company Limited claimed that the command had refused to leave the 9.529-hectare plot of land at 25th Anniversary Estate Road, Afaha Idoro, Uyo, Akwa Ibom Sate, which technically belonged to the company.
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He went on to say that the paperwork showed that Nature Control Company Limited, a private company, had invested heavily in purchasing the land for residential use from the previous owner, Papi Events and Promotions Limited, which had legally received the land allocation from the Akwa Ibom State Government on May 22, 2023.
However, out of the 9,529 hectares of the parcel of property, Papi Events and Promotion Limited designated Nature Control Company Limited as her legitimate attorney over 7,340 hectares (at the time of border demarcation) on August 23, 2023. The transfer of ownership was accomplished through this transaction.
The Nigerian police have illegally trespassed onto private property, even though they have never legally owned it. However, despite numerous requests from the communities that had donated the land to the government, the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Lands and Town Planning, and other relevant authorities, the police still insisted on staying on the property. However, the cops would not leave the premises or stop invading people’s privacy.
He added that the firm had been blocked from developing the property by both the Commissioner of Police (who was adamant) and the commander of the Nigeria Mobile Police (Nnaji Chima), and that there had been no success in convincing the commissioner to relinquish the area.
The Surveyor General of Akwa Ibom State had drawn up a survey map showing sections of land that belonged to the Nature Control Company Limited and the Police Mobile Force while determining the borders of both parcels of land. Feel free to review and confirm the Survey Plan.
Nature Control Company Limited had received approval from the Akwa Ibom State government to develop their property at 25th Anniversary Estate Road, Afaha Idoro, Uyo on 5/02/2026. However, the claimants’ employees and business associates were repeatedly threatened and harassed by the police as they attempted to develop and work on the property.
So that the long-overdue development on the land might begin immediately, the aggrieved owner is challenging this unlawful and unconstitutional infringement of his fundamental right in court, seeking redress and having the injury repaired.
Police Mobile Force, 26 Squadron of the Akwa Ibom State Command was lawfully given the land in question in 1992, according to DSP Timfon John, the Command’s Spokesperson.
John vehemently denied any involvement in or support for the illegal acquisition of land, stating that the charges of land grabbing were completely without merit and without any foundation.
Her statement went on to say that the Command will not tolerate any form of illegal encroachment or seizure of police-allotted land by any person or organization.
“It is important to note that, because the land was not fenced in at that time, someone came forward in 2024 claiming to have a letter of allocation for the same piece of land,” she said.
This situation prompted the Command to publicly communicate with the Honourable Commissioner for Lands in Akwa Ibom State, rejecting the proposed distribution and calling for an impartial investigation. As of right now, the Command has to wait to hear how this probe turns out.
The Command is determined to protect its assets and will use all legal tools to do so.All parties are urged by the Command to desist from acts that could undermine ongoing administrative processes, as they remain dedicated to due process and the lawful settlement of the situation.