By Correspondent in Abuja.
A legal practitioner, Mr. Bala Dakum, has petitioned the Plateau State Governor, Mr. Caleb Mutfwang, calling for a thorough investigation into the sealing of his client’s hospitality and tourism facility, Delavender Apartments and Suites, located in Jos.
Dakum, in a letter dated November 11 and acknowledged by the governor’s office on November 12, alleged that the sealing of the property was part of a two-year campaign of persecution against his client, Mr. Solomon Obodeh,allegedly orchestrated by the Chairman of the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS), Mr. Jim Pam Wayas. A certified true copy of the petition was made available to journalists on Friday in Abuja.
He expressed shock that despite Delavender Apartments submitting all required documents and paying statutory processing fees to the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) to regularise its building papers in line with the governor’s executive order, the property was still sealed.
The petition reads in part:
“We act as solicitors to Mr. Solomon Obodeh. He is one of the owners of Delavender Apartments and Suites situated at No. 42, Shinco Road, Jos. The property was purchased in 2019 and completed in 2024. While the land belongs to our client, the business is a partnership with his relatives in the diaspora.”
Dakum alleged that “the long persecution” of Obodeh by the PSIRS chairman led to the sealing. He said every business interest of his client on the Plateau had allegedly been targeted. He added that although Obodeh wrote to the JMDB on November 6 appealing for the property to be unsealed, he was informally told the instructions came from the governor—an allegation the lawyer dismissed as “spurious.”
Dakum further disclosed that a previous petition dated November 7, submitted through the law firm of Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, detailing alleged misconduct by Wayas, received no response.
He questioned why Wayas allegedly frustrated police investigations into complaints lodged by Obodeh against the Joint Tax Board (JTB) regarding alleged illegal activities linked to tax enforcement operations.
He also queried why the apartments were sealed on the same day the Director-General of the Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA), Mr. Samuel Dapia, was being interrogated by the IGP Special Investigation Unit over allegations of obstructing a lawful arrest connected to the same JTB activities.
Dakum warned that if no action was taken, they would escalate the matter to the National Security Adviser, calling for scrutiny of phone records involving senior officials of PSIRS, PEPSA, and JMDB, and harmonisation of investigative files with the police, ICPC, and DSS.
He stated: “Your Excellency, a golden opportunity presents itself to silence critics and restore public confidence in the administration.”
Obodeh had, in 2024, petitioned the IGP and ICPC chairman over alleged harassment, extortion, and unlawful impoundment of vehicles under the Single Inter-State Road Tax Stickers (SIRTS) and Single Haulage Fee (SHF) scheme enforced by the JTB. That petition triggered police investigations and invitations to several persons, including Wayas.
Responding, PEPSA Director-General, Mr. Samuel Dapia, said the sealing of the apartments had nothing to do with his agency, adding that l his duties did not relate to property development.
The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Gyang Bere, said he had not seen any of the petitions and requested that copies be forwarded to him via WhatsApp. He referred inquiries to the General Manager of JMDB, Mr. Hart Bankat, for clarification.
Bankat denied claims of persecution and insisted the sealing was due to lack of building approval.
“Obodeh built Delavender Apartments without approval. He was issued prior notices in 2024 before the property was sealed on November 3,” Bankat said.
He stressed that development control procedures must be followed.
“He opened and began operating the building without approval. When government directs you to regularise, the proper thing is to comply, not run to the media,” he said.
Bankat challenged Obodeh to present his documents at the JMDB office, insisting the building is illegal until proven otherwise.
He dismissed allegations that the PSIRS chairman ordered the sealing, describing them as “laughable.”
“PSIRS and JMDB are two separate entities. There is no overlap of functions. Revenue collection is different from development control,” he explained.
Bankat urged Obodeh to visit the JMDB office to regularise his documentation.
“Your property was sealed on November 3, yet you haven’t come to the office. Instead, you went to a lawyer in Abuja to write a petition. If he has approval documents, he should come and present them. Nobody will harass him,” he added.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
