A civil society group, Competent Governance for Accountability and Trust, has urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to immediately arrest the Chief Executive Officer of Zoe New Dawn Limited, Mr Stephen Akpa Achema, over his alleged role in a failed attempt to fraudulently take over a prime Enugu State Government property in Abuja.
The organisation accused Mr Achema and Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited of orchestrating violent invasions and vandalism at the development site located at Plot 804, Cadastral Zone B03, Wuye District. The 1.4-hectare property is currently being developed by the Enugu State Government in partnership with Tout Moi Nigeria Limited.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the group’s National Coordinator, Godwin Erheriene, described the alleged actions as a serious threat to investor confidence and to the Bola Tinubu administration’s drive to attract both local and foreign investments.
According to the group, Mr Achema and Simonis Ventures allegedly mobilised hoodlums to disrupt construction activities and intimidate workers on the site. It further alleged that the duo had embarked on a smear campaign against the Nigeria Police Force, particularly the IGP Monitoring Unit led by CP Akin Fakorede, in a bid to prevent law enforcement officers from protecting the property.
The group described Mr Achema as a “notorious land grabber,” recalling that he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in December 2022 over an alleged ₦500 million land fraud and rearrested in August 2023 after reportedly jumping administrative bail. It also cited his January 2023 arrest by the FCT Police Command over alleged criminal breach of trust and the alleged collection of ₦1.716 billion from unsuspecting subscribers while impersonating the lawful owner of multiple properties in the FCT.
Detailing the alleged incidents at the Wuye site, the group claimed that on 27 December 2025, Mr Achema stormed the property while workers were erecting an official Enugu State Government billboard, allegedly threatening violence and the deployment of hoodlums. The following day, armed men reportedly invaded the site, removed the Nigerian flag, destroyed official government banners and carted them away. Some of the alleged attackers were said to be dressed in military uniforms.
The group also accused a lawyer, Adekunle Otitoju, of participating in the alleged forceful takeover attempt, describing his conduct as unbecoming of the legal profession.
Competent Governance for Accountability and Trust called on the IGP to arrest all those involved, including those allegedly linked to the destruction of property and the purported forgery of a power of attorney used to claim ownership of the land.
“Nigeria is governed by laws, not brute force. Failure to bring all those involved to justice will only worsen the menace of land grabbing in the FCT,” the statement warned.
The Enugu State Government has consistently maintained that Simonis Ventures Nigeria Limited has no valid claim to the property. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja last December, the General Manager of the Enugu State Housing Development Corporation, Dr Gerald Asogwa, said investigations by both the police and the EFCC had confirmed Enugu State Government as the rightful owner.
Dr Asogwa explained that although the land was applied for in 1992, it was mistakenly allocated in 1993 to a non-existent entity, Enugu State Property Development Corporation. He said the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) later cancelled the erroneous allocation and reallocated the land to Enugu State Government in 2023/2024.
“All relevant documents, including the Right of Occupancy, Certificate of Occupancy and building approvals, were duly obtained before the alleged unlawful destruction by agents of Simonis Ventures,” he said.
He further dismissed claims that the land was transferred to Simonis Ventures in 2002, describing the alleged power of attorney backing the claim as fake, unsealed, lacking governor’s consent and executed by a non-existent entity.
Dr Asogwa added that EFCC investigations, including statements credited to former senator Ayogu Eze, confirmed that the land was always intended for Enugu State Government.
