The Kebbi State Government has denied involvement in the demolition of a property associated with former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Birnin Kebbi, insisting that the incident arose from a private land ownership dispute rather than political persecution.
The denial followed allegations by Malami and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that political opponents were responsible for the demolition of the property, which served as an office for the Malami Pressure Group, a political support organisation.
The disputed property is located near Azbir Hotel along Sani Abacha Bypass in Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.
Malami, who is associated with the ADC’s governorship ambitions in Kebbi State, has petitioned the state Commissioner of Police over the incident and directed his lawyers to pursue legal action to establish ownership of the property and seek compensation for the destruction.
Addressing journalists on Monday, November 2, 2026, the Kebbi State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Yakubu Ahmed-BK, rejected allegations linking Governor Nasir Idris and his administration to the demolition.
“The state government had neither authorised nor participated in the exercise, which arose from a private land ownership dispute between individuals,” the commissioner said.
Ahmed-BK maintained that the demolition had been wrongly presented as an attempt by the state government to suppress opposition political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He explained that the controversy attracted public attention after earth-moving equipment was seen demolishing the building, with videos of the incident subsequently circulating on social media.
According to him, some ADC supporters immediately attributed the demolition to the state government without first establishing the circumstances surrounding the exercise.
“The fact that a building was demolished does not automatically mean the state government was responsible. There are established procedures for resolving disputes over property ownership, and such matters should not be turned into political accusations,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that preliminary investigations and documents presented by a businessman, Umaru Mohammed Gulumbe, indicated that the dispute concerned competing claims to the ownership of the land.
He said Gulumbe presented a Certificate of Occupancy bearing the signature of former Kebbi State Governor, Adamu Aliero, alongside records of complaints previously lodged with the police and the Ministry of Lands and Housing.
“The individual who came forward presented documents which, according to him, established his ownership of the property. He also provided records of complaints he had earlier lodged with relevant authorities,” Ahmed-BK explained.
The commissioner further disclosed that committees constituted to examine the competing claims had considered the documents and concluded that the property belonged to Gulumbe.
However, the government’s account of the documents and the committees’ conclusions has not been independently established by a court judgment made available in the reports.
Ahmed-BK challenged anyone disputing Gulumbe’s ownership to approach a court of competent jurisdiction rather than make accusations against the state administration.
“Anyone who has a contrary claim to the ownership of that property should go to court and establish his claim. The government cannot be dragged into a private dispute simply because some people want to give it a political colouration,” he said.
He also accused some of Malami’s political associates of making inflammatory statements and personal attacks against Governor Idris over the demolition.
The commissioner demanded that the ADC withdraw allegations linking the government to the incident, clarify its claims and apologise for any statements established to be false.
He warned that the government reserved the right to pursue legal action to protect its reputation if the allegations remained unaddressed.
However, Malami’s camp rejected the suggestion that the demolition was merely a private land dispute.
In a statement issued on Tuesday through the ADC Director of Strategic Media, Research and Policy Analysis, Abubakar Bello Abdullahi, the former minister described the destruction as an act of lawlessness allegedly intended to intimidate political opponents.
“Barrister Malami is shocked by this brazen act of lawlessness. The intention, apparently, is to provoke him and his supporters into taking actions that could threaten the peace and stability of Kebbi State,” the statement said.
The ADC alleged that political opponents carried out the demolition to create tension and discourage opposition political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
It maintained that the destruction of a property associated with a political support organisation raised concerns about political tolerance, freedom of association and respect for the rule of law.
According to the party, Malami had instructed his legal representatives to take appropriate steps to establish the ownership of the disputed property, challenge the demolition through lawful procedures and seek compensation for the damage.
The former Attorney-General also petitioned the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, seeking intervention over the incident.
Despite its allegations, the ADC appealed to supporters to remain peaceful and avoid retaliatory actions.
“We appeal to all our members and supporters to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding. We will not be intimidated, neither will we abandon the path of justice and the rule of law,” the party stated.
The disagreement has consequently raised two separate questions: who lawfully owns the disputed property and who authorised or carried out its demolition.
While the Kebbi State Government maintains that the property belongs to a private businessman and denies participating in the exercise, Malami’s camp insists that the incident was politically motivated and has initiated steps to seek legal redress.
The available accounts do not establish whether the demolition was carried out pursuant to a court order, who operated the equipment used or whether the competing ownership claims have been finally determined by a competent court.
The controversy comes amid growing political activities in Kebbi State ahead of the 2027 general elections, with both the government and the opposition maintaining conflicting positions on the circumstances surrounding the demolition.
It remains to be seen whether Malami’s petition will result in a formal investigation or whether the ownership dispute and claims for compensation will be brought before a court for determination.
Post Title: “Take Your Ownership Claims To Court” — Kebbi Govt Challenges Malami, Denies Role In Property Demolition By Naijaonpoint.