By Angela Atabo
Subscribers to Valington Premium City Estate in Idu, Abuja, have appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and other relevant authorities to intervene in a land dispute involving the estate and Cityview Landmark Corporate Realty (LCR).
The subscribers made the appeal during a peaceful rally in Abuja on Saturday, demanding refunds or alternative plots with verifiable titles after investing millions of naira in properties whose ownership status they said remained uncertain.
They called on the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and other relevant agencies to investigate the dispute, establish the ownership status of the land and protect affected subscribers from financial losses.
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One of the subscribers, Nkume Efe, said she subscribed to the estate in 2023 and purchased an additional plot in 2024, but became concerned about her investment when issues surrounding the land emerged in November 2025.
Efe said that despite several meetings with the estate promoters, she had been unable to gain access to her property or obtain a satisfactory resolution to the dispute.
She alleged that the promoters had failed to take responsibility for the situation and were unwilling to negotiate with LCR or refund affected subscribers.
“They have refused to be held accountable. They do not want to negotiate with Cityview, even if they had lied to us in the past that they were negotiating with them,” she said.
Efe added that the subscribers had lost confidence in the assurances given by the promoters, saying their inability to recover their money or take possession of their properties had forced them to stage the peaceful protest.
“They also do not want to refund. So that is why we are holding this peaceful protest to demand refund,” she said.
Efe alleged that the subscribers subsequently discovered that LCR, which owns Cityview Estate, claimed to possess a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) covering the disputed land, raising further questions about the validity of their own property transactions.
She said the situation became more troubling after the perimeter fence around the estate was demolished and officials of the FCT Department of Development Control reportedly marked some buildings for demolition.
Efe explained that the development heightened concerns among subscribers, particularly after they learnt that a court case had been instituted over the disputed land.
She further alleged that the promoters had encouraged subscribers to continue work on the site despite the ownership controversy, while assuring them that the matter was being handled through legal channels.
Another subscriber, Nkiru Madiebo, a businesswoman, said she paid N5.7 million in two instalments for a plot in the estate without knowing that the land was subject to competing ownership claims.
Madiebo said she had yet to be shown the specific plot allocated to her, adding that repeated attempts to contact the promoters and secure a refund had proved unsuccessful.
She said the experience had undermined her confidence in the company’s assurances, stressing that subscribers needed concrete evidence of ownership and a clear resolution rather than further promises.
Similarly, Gbenga Adewumi, a businessman, said he paid N2.21 million for a plot in July 2023 with the intention of building a family home.
Adewumi said he only became aware of the dispute in 2026 and had since been unable to obtain a refund or a satisfactory resolution despite efforts to contact the promoters and approach the FCDA.
He appealed to Wike, the FCDA and other relevant authorities to investigate the matter, establish the facts surrounding the competing land claims and prevent subscribers from losing their investments.
Another subscriber, Chuks Henry, alleged that the land had been marketed to buyers without adequate disclosure of its ownership status, leaving unsuspecting subscribers exposed to financial uncertainty.
Henry called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that anyone found culpable was held accountable in accordance with the law.
Also speaking, Tendot Ekwe said the affected subscribers included retirees, widows, young couples, workers and Nigerians living abroad who had committed their savings to acquiring properties in the estate.
Ekwe alleged that subscribers had been informed that the land was approved by the FCDA but later encountered questions concerning the validity of the title and the ownership of the disputed property.
He said subscribers were particularly concerned about a building approval reportedly presented to them, which he alleged was issued to Grandserve and Civic rather than the company that marketed the plots.
Ekwe stressed that building approval should not be confused with proof of land ownership, urging the promoters to produce the relevant title documents and explain the roles of the different companies involved in the transactions.
The subscribers urged the FCDA to clarify the legal status of the land and explain the reasons for the markings reportedly placed on buildings within the estate, saying an official clarification would help them understand the situation and determine their next steps.
Responding to the allegations, Dr Valentine Abiji of Valington Homes and Properties Ltd., maintained that the property was genuine and that the company possessed the necessary government approvals to develop the estate.
Abiji said the government had allocated the land to the company and that the necessary approval to commence development had been obtained, dismissing suggestions that the company lacked valid documentation.
He explained that the dispute arose after another land allocation allegedly overlapped with the company’s property, adding that the matter was being handled through the judicial process.
He insisted that the company’s approvals remained valid and assured subscribers that they would eventually receive their properties, maintaining that the dispute did not invalidate the company’s claims to the land.(NAN)
