The Enugu State Government has reaffirmed its ownership of a disputed plot of land at Plot 804, Wuye District, Abuja, warning the public against fraudulent sales by unscrupulous parties.

The state government, through the General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Dr. Gerald Asogwa, presented documents to support its claim, asserting that Simonis Ventures Nigeria Ltd. is unlawfully claiming the same land without valid documentation.

Dr. Asogwa said Simonis Ventures had launched a media campaign making false claims against the state government with the intent to deceive the public.

He explained, “In 1992, Enugu State Government applied for a parcel of land in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The land was allocated on January 14, 1993. However, the allocation was erroneously issued in the name of Enugu State Property Development Corporation, instead of Enugu State Government or Enugu State Housing Development Corporation. There has never existed any parastatal, corporation, or company known as Enugu State Property Development Corporation at the time of allocation or thereafter. The named allottee therefore lacked legal personality and contractual capacity ab initio.”

Dr. Asogwa further stated that in 2002, the non-existent entity allegedly transferred the land to Simonis Ventures using a fake Irrevocable Power of Attorney dated February 25, 2002, suspiciously witnessed in 2005.

The document was unsealed, lacked the Governor’s consent, was not co-signed by any government official, and failed to identify a lawful executor, making it clearly fraudulent.

Upon discovery of the anomaly, Enugu State Government applied to the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) and FCT authorities for correction.

The wrongful allocation was cancelled, and Plot 804 was reallocated to Enugu State Government. All requisite building approvals were obtained in the state government’s name, and development commenced before being unlawfully destroyed by agents of Simonis Ventures.

In 2016, the state government and the Housing Development Corporation filed a suit to nullify the fraudulent allocation and Certificate of Occupancy. Dr. Asogwa announced, “The prayers canvassed have since been granted: the Honourable Minister of the FCT issued the Statutory Right of Occupancy in favor of Enugu State Government in 2023, as well as Certificate of Occupancy and Building Plan Approval in 2024. AGIS revoked the fraudulent allocation issued to Simonis Ventures in 2023.”

He added that in 2014, the Nigeria Police confirmed the Power of Attorney was fake and recommended prosecution, which was frustrated by the use of ghost identities. The EFCC investigated the matter in 2015, and the late Senator Ayogu Eze was identified as the person who received the Certificate of Occupancy on behalf of Enugu State Government.

Dr. Asogwa stressed that Enugu State Government has always maintained ownership of the land and never claimed otherwise. He clarified that no court order has ever been served, submitted, or delivered to the state or its agencies, and the only reference to any purported court order arose verbally during police investigations.

In November 2025, Simonis Ventures filed an enforcement action at the Gwagwalada High Court, fraudulently expanding a 2016 order to include reliefs that never existed. Dr. Asogwa described this as a clear abuse of court processes. He added that corporate records of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that ghost directors had been replaced with family members of the deceased, but the alleged court order remained fundamentally defective, relying on false or forged documentation.

The Enugu State Government therefore warns the public to disregard any claims or offers relating to the disputed property and reaffirms its legal ownership of Plot 804, Wuye, Abuja.