Residents of six communities in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, joined by lawyers, have staged a peaceful protest to condemn what they described as illegal demolitions, forced evictions, and disregard for court orders allegedly carried out under military supervision.

The demonstrators, including men, women, children, and the elderly, marched through Kaduna city carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Obey Court Orders Now,” “Military is Not Above the Law,” and “Stop Illegal Demolitions in Igabi.” They also chanted slogans demanding protection of their ancestral homes and farmlands.

One of the community leaders expressed outrage, saying, “Our homes and farmlands are being destroyed in violation of court rulings. Families have been thrown into the streets without shelter, and this cannot continue.”

Lawyers who joined the protest accused the military of disregarding multiple court injunctions. According to them, demolitions carried out in Ungwan Aboki on August 15 left hundreds of families homeless. “Women, children, the elderly, and even persons with disabilities were thrown out in the open. This is a clear violation of human rights,” one lawyer said.

The protesters also raised concerns about the marking of Mallam Auta community for demolition despite subsisting court rulings prohibiting such actions. “The refusal to obey judicial orders is contempt of court and an attack on the rule of law,” another protester stressed.

The group demanded an immediate halt to further demolitions, the release of residents allegedly detained without warrants, and urgent intervention from government and civil society to prevent what they described as a looming humanitarian crisis. “We want the world to know that this is injustice, and we will not stop speaking out until the rights of our people are respected,” a resident declared.

In response, the military defended its actions, insisting that the affected settlements posed a security risk. A senior officer explained, “The presence of unauthorised structures around Jaji Cantonment compromises national security and hampers training activities. What was removed were illegal encroachments within the cantonment, not lawful houses.”

He added that discussions were ongoing with the state government to relocate affected communities and provide alternative settlements. “We understand the concerns of civilians, but national security imperatives must take priority,” he maintained.

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Top Nigerian regulatory and legal bodies have linked the surge in money laundering activities within the real estate sector to outdated land administration systems and weak regulatory oversight.

At a high-level policy dialogue in Abuja, EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN), and BPP Director-General Dr. Adebowale Adedokun jointly emphasized that the sector’s vulnerability to illicit financial activities stems from poor transparency, cumbersome processes, and the absence of modern legal frameworks.

Olukoyede revealed that real estate has become a haven for money laundering, with many estate projects funded through suspicious financial inflows. “The current structure allows developers to bypass scrutiny, making it easy to launder money,” he said.

He added that many properties are abandoned midway, with investigations revealing that some are backed by diverted public funds. “We’ve identified several housing estates funded by corrupt civil servants. Once the stolen funds stop, projects are abandoned,” he said, noting that the EFCC has initiated interim forfeiture processes for around 15 such estates.

The EFCC boss called for the use of digital tools like a functional Beneficial Ownership Register to trace the true owners of real estate holdings and urged a shift away from Nigeria’s cash-heavy economy, which he described as fertile ground for corruption. He also encouraged real estate developers to conduct thorough due diligence on clients.

NBA President Afam Osigwe criticized the country’s outdated land documentation system, saying the requirement for a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) just to verify ownership is archaic and inefficient. “In other countries, property details are accessible in minutes. Here, it’s opaque and frustrating,” he said.

He stressed the need for systemic reform and advocated for the deployment of technology to improve transparency and ease of access to property records.

BPP’s Adedokun highlighted how public funds are often misused in real estate projects due to procurement loopholes. He explained that large disparities between actual project costs and reported figures provide the excess funds that end up being laundered. “People use real estate to stash untraceable money because there are no effective controls,” he warned.

Adedokun stated that collaboration between procurement agencies and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) is underway to tighten project monitoring and prevent contract abuse.

The event, hosted by law firm The Law Corridor, brought together legal experts, regulators, and industry stakeholders to explore reforms aimed at tackling fraudulent property transactions, ensuring compliance with anti-money laundering policies, and protecting buyers from exploitation.

The consensus was clear: unless Nigeria modernizes its land and property administration systems, the real estate sector will remain a major channel for laundering illicit funds.

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Speaking during the opening of the NUJ Workstation in Owerri on Monday, Nwakaeti, in a paper titled “Judiciary and the Role of the Media in Deepening Nigerian Democracy,” described the current state of the judiciary as a departure from its constitutional role as the last hope of the common man.

“Judicial independence is fast becoming a theoretical concept in Nigeria. Courts have increasingly strayed from established legal precedents, and the separation of powers, once a hallmark of democratic governance, is now largely symbolic,” he stated.

Nwakaeti pointed to several systemic issues undermining judicial effectiveness, including the backlog of cases, delays in the judicial process, and flawed appointment procedures. He argued that judicial appointments have become politicised and sometimes based on favoritism rather than merit, turning what should be a sacred duty into a matter of influence and inheritance.

“In many cases, appointments to the bench are now seen as spousal gifts or tools for influence peddling. This undermines public confidence in the judiciary and compromises its credibility,” he said.

Calling for urgent reform, the legal expert urged the judiciary to reclaim its independence as enshrined in Section 6 of the 1999 Constitution. He noted that no arm of government holds the constitutional power to diminish the judiciary’s authority, adding that an empowered and functional judicial system is key to checking executive overreach and upholding democratic norms.

He also called on the media to remain vigilant and continue reporting on developments within the justice system. “A fearless press is essential in holding those in power accountable and ensuring that the judiciary fulfills its responsibility to protect civil liberties and uphold the rule of law,” Nwakaeti concluded.

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