A developer, Paul Odili, linked to Paulo Homes, is facing allegations of attempting to evade bail conditions in connection with the protracted River Park Estate dispute in Abuja.
Odili, who was first arrested last Thursday after workers under his firm allegedly defied a court-ordered stop-work directive at the Lugbe estate, was granted bail in the sum of N200 million and directed to surrender his international passport.
However, security sources disclosed that he was sighted on Saturday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while preparing to board a flight to Lagos, reportedly to connect to the United States. He was said to be travelling in company of Paulo Homes Chief Executive Officer, Giles Anazia, who had stood as his surety in the bail process.
“He was supposed to surrender his passport but refused. He was seen at the airport, probably attempting to flee,” a police source said.
The development is the latest twist in the legal and administrative tussle over ownership and development rights at River Park Estate. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) recently demolished more than 30 structures in the estate for alleged violation of planning regulations.
Despite subsisting court orders directing parties to maintain the status quo, reports indicated that construction activities continued in some parts of the estate, prompting intervention from the FCTA and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, which has since ordered a review of pending police actions on the matter.
The controversy has unsettled property owners and investors in Abuja, raising wider concerns about the safety and security of real estate investments in the Federal Capital Territory.
