The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has come out to refute the story, saying that he demolished a property belonging to an Igbo man in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The minister also accused the Lands Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of conniving with firms and private individuals to defraud the administration.
Wike, who disclosed what transpired between him and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SNECOU Group Limited, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu, who is crying foul about the demolition of his investment on 214 hectares of land in the Asokoro district of FCT,.
It would be recalled that during a recent interview with Channels, Ukachukwu, the Anambra-born businessman, called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and save the multimillion-naira invested in the property, accusing Wike of ordering the demolishing of the said property without any court order despite pending valid two court orders from separate courts restraining him and the FCTA from tampering with the property.
Ukachukwu claimed that the property was demolished because it was owned by an Igbo man and not because the company violated any law.
He said, “Wike called for a meeting over the land; we went with our documents after seeing what we had with our lawyer and another company, Sunrise, which gave part of that land. Wike said that there is nothing on this that the court should take into effect.”
However, in a press briefing on Tuesday, Wike refuted the allegations when he said the land allocated to Ukachukwu did not have the approval of any minister as his predecessor.
The minister, thereafter, accused the lands department of the FCTA of conniving with landgrabbers in the nation’s capital.
Wike said, “I have been doing this before. I will continue to do it. And nothing will happen. Criminals are criminals. They may come in different ways.
“I have never seen people like land-grabbing people in this place. I came in, and I met so many petitions. One company came with different petitions, with different owners of properties. I summoned all of them. They came with their lawyers and senior advocates.
“And I said, Look, what is this? Companies presented their own cases. Company A presented their own case; company B presented their own; company C; company D; and company E. I said, Okay, I’m going to seek advice from external solicitors. I’m not going to take advice from insiders, because the biggest fraud is that the Land Department has been compromised. I sought the views of senior lawyers and told them we needed to do things differently.
“This land, which this so-called ethnic jingoist talked about, was allocated when there was no minister. The minister left on May 29, 2023. By June, the land had been allocated by the director of lands.
“We all met and agreed that nobody should do anything on the land until we are able to make a final decision. You know what happened? These guys thought they were too smart, and they started selling the land.”
The minister cited an example when he wanted to commission a water park and was informed he could not do it when he stated that “The Pacco and its allies had gone to court, stopping me from commissioning the water park.”
“You see, these guys (some officials in the FCTA) are colliding with the plaintiff against the FCTA. I’ve never seen people who are so fraudulent like this! What they do here. They sued you; they sued me as FCT minister. They have court judgements in their pockets. I told him you were wasting time. His brother sent me a text message. I have never met his brother, but he sent me a message saying, “You told your Ikwerre brothers you would deal with Igbos in FCT’, imagine such.
“Why do we behave like this in this country? We keep doing the same thing and expect different results. If you transfer a director, he would say, ‘Oh! It’s because I am Hausa! If you transfer another one, he would say, ‘It’s because I am a Muslim’, but why?” he added.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the FCTA, via its Department of Development Control, conducted a demolition exercise on Tuesday to reclaim over 100 hectares of land in Gosa District.
The Director of the Department, Tlp Mukhtar Galadima, emphasised the collaboration with the EFCC, ICPC, and the Nigerian police to apprehend perpetrators involved in illegal land-grabbing activities.
Galadima highlighted the importance of eliminating land-grabbing cases to prevent unsuspecting Nigerians from purchasing properties acquired through deceitful means.
He reiterated the FCTA’s commitment to addressing such incidents, referencing similar actions taken near the train station last year.
The reclaimed land, allocated to a corporate entity for housing estates, was illegally fenced off by encroachers. Galadima assured that all illegal fences would be removed to prevent further encroachment.
He urged prospective land buyers to conduct due diligence by verifying land allocations with relevant government agencies, including the Department of Lands Administration, Development Control, and Urban and Regional Planning.
Regarding sustainability plans, Galadima outlined ongoing efforts to monitor the environment regularly, with particular attention to Gosa District’s development designated by Urban and Regional Planning.
Dr. Peter Olumuji, Secretary of Command and Control at FCTA, condemned land grabbers’ criminal activities, including falsification of documents and violent confrontations with authorities.
He affirmed that the eight perpetrators arrested during the operation would face legal consequences.
Hamza Adamu, CEO of Ivory Shelters Nigeria Limited, confirmed the legitimate allocation of the land for mixed-use development, including commercial and residential purposes.
Adamu assured ongoing infrastructure development and security measures, emphasising affordability and client protection. He denounced illegal occupants as land grabbers and reassured buyers of property within the allocated land’s safety.
He projected a five-year completion timeline for the project, aiming to create a low-cost estate accessible to all.
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