Closure Sparks Outcry: Abia Hotel Runs to Police, DSS After Government Seal-Off

Closure Sparks Outcry: Abia Hotel Runs to Police, DSS After Government Seal-Off

The Board and Management of Abia Hotel Limited have petitioned the Abia State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) over the revocation of the hotel’s property rights and the sealing of its premises by the Abia State Government.

The petition, signed by the Managing Director of the hotel, Dr. Patrick Ezenwaka, on behalf of the Board and Management, appealed to security agencies in the state to urgently intervene and halt what the petitioners describe as an ongoing illegality against the shareholders of the establishment.

The petition respectfully requested the urgent and impartial intervention of the security agencies regarding the “forceful sealing and occupation” of the hotel premises by officials allegedly acting under directives from the Abia State Government.

Dated 15 November 2025 and titled “Urgent Petition: Request for Security Intervention and Upholding the Rule of Law,” the petition urges the security agencies to ensure that all parties “strictly adhere to the rule of law and respect the authority of the High Court of Abia State, particularly concerning the alleged existence of a subsisting court order that prohibits such arbitrary action.”

The petition reads in part:”Dear Sirs,We, the Board and Management of Abia Hotel Limited, Umuahia, write to you as the Chief Security Officers of Abia State to respectfully request your urgent and impartial intervention regarding the recent forceful sealing and occupation of our premises by officials allegedly acting under the direction of the Abia State Government.

On or about 14 November 2025, our legitimate business premises, Abia Hotel Limited, were sealed and occupied by state agents, including men of the Abia State Vigilante Service led by one Cdr. McDonald Uba (rtd.).

This action was taken despite our status as a lawful, operational joint venture (40% private equity, 60% State) with a valid 99-year Certificate of Occupancy and a subsisting 25-year lease (with 17 years remaining).

Crucially, the sealing was carried out in disregard of a subsisting court order.

The matter is currently before the High Court of Abia State, Umuahia Judicial Division (Suit No. HU/317/2025), where we are seeking various declarations and a restraining order against the State Government’s actions.

Our immediate concern is the maintenance of public peace, the prevention of a breakdown of law and order, and the preservation of the sanctity of the judicial process.”

The petition further requested that the agencies:Uphold the Rule of Law and Judicial Process:Ensure that all parties comply with the court order and refrain from actions that violate established legal procedures ,Ensure Security and Prevent Breach of Peace,Deploy security personnel to protect the premises from further unauthorized occupation, which the petitioners say may lead to civil unrest, confrontation, or the destruction and looting of assets,Facilitate the Immediate Unsealing of the Property and Withdraw all non-statutory security and vigilante personnel to allow the hotel to resume operations and safeguard the jobs of 52 direct staff and numerous indirect workers.

The petition concluded:“We are a going concern that merely wishes to operate without fear of political intimidation or arbitrary seizure. We appeal to your neutrality and commitment to justice to ensure that the ongoing legal process is not undermined. We trust in your prompt and necessary action in this urgent matter.

In another statement issued over the weekend in Abuja, the Management of Abia Hotel Limited described the actions of the state government as arbitrary and illegal, calling on the public to stand against what it termed political intimidation.

In a “save our soul” message to the public, the management alleged that the state government sealed the hotel despite a subsisting court order prohibiting such action.

Dr. Ezenwaka stated that the government’s claim of “abandonment” was fabricated to justify a takeover.

The management urged the public to ignore the narrative of “abandonment” and stand with it in the pursuit of justice.

The statement reads in part:“The Board and Management of Abia Hotel Limited, Umuahia, wish to inform the public that we have taken decisive legal action in the High Court of Abia State, Umuahia Judicial Division, to protect our legitimate business interests, contractual rights, and goodwill from the unlawful and arbitrary actions of the Abia State Government.This follows unfounded public allegations of ‘abandonment’ by the government and the subsequent, illegal issuance of a Notice of Revocation of our Certificate of Occupancy, which had been lawfully granted by the administration of His Excellency Chief T. A. Orji.”

The Management alleged that the move by the government had political undertones:

“We are constrained to state that the political motivations behind the government’s actions are becoming increasingly clear. We are reliably informed that the anger of the Abia State Government stems from the fact that our premises were recently used to host an event,‘The Renewed Hope Partners’by the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party.This hostility persists despite the APC having paid the full commercial rate for the use of the venue, as is standard practice for any hospitality business.

The unfortunate reality is that Governor Alex Otti’s administration appears to regard the APC as a ‘mortal enemy’ and has chosen to target a legitimate private business merely because it maintained commercial neutrality.”

The management emphasized that “Abia Hotel Limited is a lawfully constituted, operational, and thriving joint venture that is neither abandoned nor derelict. We currently employ 52 direct staff and support numerous indirect jobs in Abia State.

Importantly, the Abia State Government is not the sole owner of this enterprise. Private investors, represented by the Board and Management, hold a significant 40% equity stake. The government’s actions therefore contravene binding legal and contractual arrangements, including a 25-year subsisting lease (with 17 years remaining) and a valid 99-year Certificate of Occupancy.”

In court papers filed before the Abia State High Court in Umuahia by Anthony Onyenowu, Investment Guarantee Ltd., and Randy Obinna Ukanwoke, Abia Hotel Limited seeks multiple reliefs, including:

A declaration that the hotel is the lawful leaseholder and rightful owner of the proprietary and business interests in the premises, in view of its 40% private equity stake.

A declaration that the purported Notice of Revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy and the forceful occupation of the premises by government officials and members of the Abia State Vigilante Service led by Cdr. McDonald Uba (rtd.) are illegal, null, and void.

The Abia State Government, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, and the Commissioner for Information are listed as the 1st to 4th defendants in the suit.