Residents of Brains and Hammers Bungalow City Estate, located along the busy Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, are crying out for help after accusing the estate’s developer of harassment, intimidation, and deliberate attempts to dispossess them of their mortgage-backed homes.
In a strongly worded petition to the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) dated August 17, 2025, the allottees alleged that Brains and Hammers Limited has been cutting off water supply, deploying armed security to chase away contractors working for residents, and coercing subscribers into signing “reallocation” letters under threats of eviction.
The aggrieved homeowners, who have been faithfully paying for their houses under the FMBN Rent-to-Own scheme, said the developer has failed to fully allocate homes despite many of them completing their payments over a year ago. Instead, they claim, Brains and Hammers is forcing them to sign new agreements that demand reimbursement of construction costs or risk losing their homes entirely.
One of the reallocation letters seen stated that only 150 beneficiaries would be considered valid allottees, while others would remain in the houses “at their own risk.” Residents say this is a calculated move to strip rightful subscribers of their properties.
“They are using water disconnections and intimidation to frustrate us into giving up. Some of us have been paying for years, yet we are being treated as squatters,” one resident lamented. Another said the developer boasted that the mortgage bank had already been “settled,” leaving subscribers with no bargaining power.
While a few homeowners have successfully taken possession of their units, several others remain stranded as their files and payments are yet to be processed. The petitioners are now calling on the FMBN to urgently intervene, restore confidence in the Rent-to-Own scheme, and protect Nigerians who trusted the housing project.
They warned that if the bank fails to act, they may resort to protests and legal action. “We need the mortgage bank to publicly declare that we are legitimate beneficiaries and stop these unlawful practices,” the petition read.
Attempts to get Brains and Hammers’ reaction were unsuccessful as officials insisted inquiries be made only in person at their site office.