Former Director-General of the Kogi State Bureau of Lands, Alhaji Abdulmalik Teina, has petitioned the Senate over the demolition of properties linked to his family in Okene, Kogi State, alleging that the action was politically motivated and carried out without due process.
The petition, submitted to the President of the Senate through Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, seeks the intervention of the National Assembly in what the petitioners described as an unlawful demolition carried out by the Kogi State Government.
The petition, authored by Abuja-based legal practitioner Femi Motojesi on behalf of Hajia Zainab Abdulmalik, wife of Abdulmalik Teina, challenged the government’s claim that the demolished properties were being used to harbour members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
According to the petition, the affected properties, located in the Idoji area of Okene Local Government Area, were legally acquired through government allocations and subsequent transfers backed by valid documentation.
The petitioners maintained that the facilities were occupied by members of MASWAJ, an Islamic educational and religious organisation widely recognised across Kogi Central Senatorial District.
“The property is being occupied and utilised by known Islamic scholars for Islamic activities known as MASWAJ,” the petition stated.
The legal team further alleged that the demolition, which took place on January 15, 2026, was connected to political disagreements between Teina and the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo.
“It is the fallout of these differences that resulted in the political vendetta prompting the State Government to label the property legitimately acquired by our client as one harbouring and camping so-called ISWAP militants,” the petition alleged.
The petition questioned the basis for the demolition, arguing that no prior notice was issued to the property owner and that no evidence had been publicly presented linking any occupant of the property to terrorist activities.
“The question that readily comes to mind is when and how these innocent scholars and Islamic teachers suddenly became ISWAP militants to warrant the destruction of our client’s property without any prior notice,” the petition queried.
According to the petition, Governor Ododo had previously hosted leaders of MASWAJ and commended their activities during a meeting held in December 2025, making the subsequent allegations against the organisation difficult to reconcile.
“It is therefore surprising to see the same Governor leading the early morning invasion and demolition of our client’s property under the allegation that the property was housing ISWAP militants,” the lawyers stated.
The petition urged the Senate to investigate the circumstances surrounding the demolition, determine whether due process was followed, and establish whether the action was politically motivated.
Among the reliefs sought are a Senate probe into the allegations, protection of the petitioner’s constitutional right to own property, and a directive compelling the Kogi State Government to rebuild the demolished structures.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan was said to have forwarded the petition to the Senate leadership as part of her constitutional responsibility to represent and defend the interests of her constituents.
“The intervention of the Senate is necessary to ensure justice, accountability, and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights,” the petition noted.
The matter is expected to attract attention at the National Assembly in the coming weeks as lawmakers consider the petition and possible steps towards investigating the claims.
