A landlord in Abuja, Mr. Abdulahi Abdurrahman Yahaya, has alleged a coordinated plot by his former tenant, Mr. Collins Eselemo, with the support of some police officers, to illegally seize and commercialize his property located at Plot 750A, Road 69, Gwarinpa.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Yahaya claimed that Eselemo, who originally rented a two-bedroom apartment through his brother and a family agent in 2018, stopped paying rent after the first year. “I was away for medical treatment abroad when he stopped paying rent. When I returned, I found he had remained on the property without my consent,” Yahaya said. “He turned from a tenant to a landlord overnight. He’s erecting new structures, subletting to others, and now claims to own the property.”
Yahaya stated that despite his attempts to report the matter to the relevant authorities, including the Abuja Development Control Department and the police, no action has been taken to stop the encroachment. He said the Development Control officials once visited the property and ordered Eselemo to halt construction, but the order was ignored. “Even when I reported to the police, he refused to honour their invitations and instead sent his lawyer, who insulted the officers,” he said.
Matters took a troubling turn on July 11 when Yahaya was invited to Zone 7 Police Headquarters after Eselemo accused him of impersonating the property’s owner. “Despite presenting evidence of ownership, the police detained me,” Yahaya claimed. “My lawyer was denied access to the complainant, and I was only released after producing sureties and paying money.”
Yahaya further alleged that during a follow-up visit on July 14, officers again threatened him with detention if he failed to produce property documents, which he said were at home. “The IPO and two other officers, who never wore uniforms, demanded money before I was allowed to go,” he said.
He claimed that when police at his request locked the premises to halt further construction, Eselemo returned the same night with his CSO, broke the padlock, and continued building. “It’s like the police are helping him,” Yahaya said. “The officers I reported to are now enabling him.”
Fearing for his safety, Yahaya has appealed to the Inspector General of Police for urgent intervention. “Barrister Faye has sworn to frustrate me because I refused to sell the house to his client. Now, they’ve taken over my property and are collecting rent from tenants as if I don’t exist,” he said.
He said tenants on the property have since confessed that Eselemo presented himself as the landlord and provided rent receipts, which Yahaya claims are now in his possession.
As concerns mount, legal professionals are warning about the broader implications. “If a tenant can weaponize police authority to detain a landlord, we’re staring at a breakdown of the legal process,” said Abuja-based lawyer Usman Yusuf. “The Inspector General must step in. This case is no longer civil—it’s a clear abuse of law enforcement power.”
