Why I demolished Igbo man’s property in Abuja – Wike

Why I demolished Igbo man’s property in Abuja – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has spoken on the demolition of structures built on 214 hectares of land in the Asokoro district of FCT said to belong to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the SNECOU Group Limited, Chief Nicholas Ukachukwu.

Ukachukwu had accused Wike of ordering the demolition because it was owned by an Igbo man, and not because the company violated any law.

The Anambra-born businessman said this was done despite pending two valid court orders restraining him and the FCT administration from tampering with the property.

But speaking on the issue at a press briefing on Tuesday in Abuja, Wike said the land allocated to Ukachukwu did not have the approval of any FCT minister.

He said the land-grabbing in Abuja was becoming rampant with the connivance of some officials in the land department of his ministry.

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, (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, 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, 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 need to do things differently.”

“This land, by 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 was allocated by the director of lands.

“We all met and agreed that nobody should do anything on the land until we are able to take a final decision. You know what happened? These guys thought they were too smart and they started selling the land.”

The minister said there was a time when he wanted to commission a Water Park, and he was informed he could not, saying, “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 judgments in their pockets. I told him you are 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 will deal with Igbos in the FCT’, Imagine such.

“Why do we behave like this in this country? We keep doing the same thing and expect different result. 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.

(Adapted from a Daily Trust’s report)