Ex-Customs CG hires thugs to retrieve Abuja property from estranged wife

Ango, the Sole Administrator of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) from 1994 to 1998, is engaged in legal battles over the property, with cases pending in courts in both the FCT and Kaduna state.

Despite the ongoing legal processes, Ango has allegedly been adamant about his estranged wife leaving the premises, serving her multiple notices to vacate.

In an exclusive chat with Pulse, the ex-Custom CG confirmed the incident, saying he and his estranged wife had been separated for over 13 years.

He said, "I was once married to this woman, but the marriage didn't work. We have been separated for over 13 years now. I decided to sell off the property because the woman wouldn't let my other children or myself stay in the house in peace.

"She has brought so many conspiracies and all sorts to tarnish my image and paint me evil. I have been trying all I can all these years to see that I get this done in peace without any public eye, but alas, I have offered her different compensations, all to no avail.

"She took the same matter to court with the same lies; after a long time in court without any evidence from her end, the court had to throw out the prayers in 2023."

Reacting to the ex-CG's claim, Mrs Ango told our correspondent that her estranged husband had bequeathed the house in a legally documented paper to her.

She said, "Prior to his leaving the house, we were married, and we are still married, of course, because we are not officially divorced. He had given me a paper saying that he had bequeathed the house to me ahead of his original will, which I thanked him greatly for."

The vandalised part of the resident bequeathed to Mrs Juliet Ango by her by the ex-customs boss. [Segun Adeyemi/Original] Gen Ango Pulse Nigeria

She, however, admitted that Mr Ango contacted her about selling the house, but she insisted that all processes should be handled through their lawyers.

"I told him that I don't think it's proper for him to take a house that he had given me; why would he want to sell a house he had given me? What is it? You know. So, he told me that he was giving me 30 days to pack out of the house. If not, we'll be thrown out," she added.

However, Mr Ango claimed that no court order was restraining him from taking over the house. He told our correspondent that he sold it in January due to ill health, and he also stated that the only legal tussle between them was their divorce case.

The ex-CG said, " I sold the property in January when I needed finance to look after my health. I have been trying since then to see her, but she has outrightly avoided it. I even came to Abuja after so much back-and-forth to see her, and she claimed she wasn't home, whereas she was. I eventually sent her a chat to notify her that the new owner wanted to take possession, but she didn't respond.

"The only court case we have at hand is the divorce case, which is ongoing as we speak."

Operatives of Maitama Police Division of the FCT were deployed to the house to halt the vandalism. [Segun Adeyemi/Original] Ango Pulse Nigeria

Pulse gathered that Mr Ango led some suspected thugs to the said apartment on Saturday morning, April 20, to evict her from the house forcefully.

According to video clips and photos obtained by this writer, it was gathered that Mrs Ango was inside the building when the thugs invaded the premises and began to vandalise the building while her belongings were forcefully thrown out of the building.

Confirming this to Pulse, Mrs Ango said it took the intervention of the Maitama Police Division to disperse the thugs.

She said, "Very early on Saturday morning. I don't know whether it was a battalion. I don't know whether they were up to 50. I don't know. But, eh! men were all over the house. Some were on the roof. Some were breaking the roof. Some were breaking the door.

"I got up, I ran to the window. I said, what is going on? As if there was a war going on. So, when I noticed what was going on, I quickly ran back. I said, oh, let me dress up properly so that at least if anything, you know. So, I went, wore the clothes I saw nearest to me. Then went out through the back door."

Mrs Ango recounted that she and her house guard were able to get the police, who came in three batches to disperse the thugs.

She said that the case got to the FCT police commissioner's office, which helped deploy police officers to safeguard the property pending when the litigations were over.

Mrs Ango is the fourth and legally married wife of the ex-CG. The first wife is said to have relocated to the United Kingdom, while the second and third wives are late.