By Onyeanya Immaculata
The Enugu State Government has reaffirmed its ownership of a disputed one-hectare plot of land at Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District, Abuja, insisting that Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited has no legal claim to the property.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Dr. Gerald Asogwa, accused Simonis of attempting to fraudulently acquire Plot 804 through forged documents and abuse of court process.
He said investigations by the Nigeria Police Force and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) confirmed Enugu State as the rightful owner.
Asogwa explained that the land was allocated to Enugu State in January 1993 but was erroneously issued in the name of a non-existent entity,
“Enugu State Property Development Corporation,” which he said could not legally transfer the land.
He added that the purported 2002 transfer to Simonis was based on a forged and invalid Power of Attorney lacking the governor’s consent and proper execution.
According to him, the error was later corrected by the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS), leading to the reallocation of the plot to Enugu State Government, which subsequently obtained valid title documents and building approvals.
He also dismissed a court order cited by Simonis, alleging it was never served on the state and was fraudulently altered during enforcement.
Asogwa warned the public against transacting with Simonis or its associates, stressing that the land is currently being developed as Woodlands Estate by Tout Moi Nigeria Limited under a valid agreement with the Enugu State Government.
He maintained that all purported sales by Simonis are illegal and of no legal effect.
