Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited has accused Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Anthony Aikhunegbe Malik, of filing a lawsuit in its name without the approval of its board or management, warning of formal petitions if the matter is not resolved.
In a letter addressed to Chief Malik, the real estate company insisted that it did not authorize his law firm, A.A. Malik & Co, to initiate legal proceedings against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The firm demanded that the SAN immediately withdraw the suit and provide written proof of compliance, cautioning that failure to do so would result in petitions to law enforcement agencies, the Body of Benchers, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, and the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee.
Signed by its Managing Director/CEO, Kojo Ansah Mensah, the company’s petition also queried the transfer of the matter from Court 38 to Court 37 in Jikwoyi, as well as its reassignment to Justice Mohammed Zubairu of the FCT High Court, despite the existence of other pending cases on the same subject. It described the process as questionable and urged the FCT Minister to safeguard the integrity of ministerial decisions concerning the River Park Estate crisis.
When contacted, Chief Malik maintained that his firm had been properly briefed in writing by Houses for Africa, a claim the company’s CEO firmly denied. The company said it had already notified the Minister and threatened to escalate the matter to the Nigerian Bar Association’s Disciplinary Committee and the Body of Benchers if the lawyer failed to act.
The River Park Estate dispute, which has triggered multiple lawsuits and counterclaims involving developers and corporate entities, continues to generate public interest in Abuja. Legal experts note that the controversy raises broader concerns about professional conduct and due process in estate-related litigation in the Federal Capital Territory.