NAN Lodges Formal Complaint Over Encroachment on Agency Property in Adamawa
From Umar Dankano, Yola
The management of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) has formally lodged a complaint over alleged unlawful encroachment on its state office premises by suspected land grabbers in Adamawa State.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NAN, Ali M. Ali, made this known during an on-the-spot assessment of the property located at No. 11 Scope Road, behind the Federal Secretariat in Jimeta-Yola. He expressed deep concern over the development.
Ali, visibly disturbed by the situation, described the action as an aberration and an affront to the sanctity of Federal Government property. He stressed that NAN lawfully acquired the land over two decades ago.
According to him, the land was allocated to NAN by a former governor of Adamawa State, and the agency holds a valid Certificate of Occupancy. He noted that NAN had long established its office on the site and has remained operational since.
The current dispute, he explained, began on June 30, 2025, following a report from NAN’s state correspondent in Yola.
“An individual presented a letter purportedly issued by the Implementation Committee on the White Paper of the Commission of Inquiry into the Alienation of Federal Government Landed Property,” Ali said.
He added that the letter, dated December 2019 but unsigned, claimed that the property had been sold to a company identified as Royal Stone Global Investment Nigeria Ltd.
“It was accompanied by an acceptance form allegedly signed by one Umar Iya of No. 10 Hospital Road, Jimeta-Yola, and dated March 11, 2020,” he said.
Ali noted that NAN staff denied the individual access to the premises and directed him to obtain clearance from the agency’s headquarters in Abuja. However, no such contact was made. Instead, the individuals reportedly returned and forcefully entered the premises, commencing construction work and breaking the perimeter fence—despite a restraining order issued by a competent court.
The NAN boss emphasized the agency’s commitment to due process and reaffirmed that, as a law-abiding institution, NAN will pursue all legal avenues to reclaim the property.
He said a formal complaint has been submitted to the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, and the Commissioner for Information and Strategy has also been briefed on the matter.
“We have also returned to court to seek further restraining orders against the intruders and are committed to following up through the appropriate legal channels,” Ali stated.
