On Thursday, December 12, 2024, the Nigerian Senate called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to immediately halt all demolitions in the FCT. This decision came after concerns were raised during a Senate session, where a motion was presented by Senator Ireti Kingibe.
Senator Kingibe expressed worry that the demolition of properties in the FCT had become increasingly alarming. She highlighted that the demolitions were not following due process and were causing severe hardship for many people, with properties worth billions of naira being destroyed.
In her motion, Kingibe noted that the Federal Capital Administration, acting under instructions from the Minister of the FCT, had been carrying out large-scale demolitions. These were allegedly justified by claims that the demolished structures were illegal or that allocated plots of land had not been developed. However, Kingibe argued that many of the demolitions seemed to lack proper legal backing and were no longer in line with the reasons given by the FCT administration.
One of the specific cases Kingibe mentioned was the demolition of an estate called Merss Paulosa, which had been allocated to the late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa in 1984. She pointed out that the estate was owned by a respected Nigerian who had served the country honorably.
While Kingibe called for an immediate halt to the demolitions, Senator Sunday Karimi from Kogi West disagreed, suggesting that the Senate should investigate the demolitions rather than stopping them outright.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio supported the motion to halt the demolitions, stressing that damage should not be done first, only to be investigated later. Akpabio warned that the government could face legal action from those affected by the demolitions.
To ensure a thorough investigation, the Senate established an ad-hoc committee led by Senator Jibrin Barau, which will look into the ongoing demolitions in the FCT.
