The Senate has ordered the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to stop all the ongoing property demolitions in Abuja with immediate effect.
The order, on Thursday, is sequel to alleged irregularities and hardships caused by the exercise. The Senate also summoned the minister to appear before an ad hoc committee formed to investigate the demolition activities.
The committee, chaired by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, has been given two weeks to submit its reports.
The motion, which triggered the decision, was raised by Senator Ireti Kingibe (LP – FCT) during plenary and seconded by Senator Natasha Akpabio-Uduaghan (PDP – Kogi Central).
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio,
while reading the resolution, said that halting the demolitions became imperative until proper investigations had been conducted.
“The Senate urges the Federal Capital Development Authority to stop further demolitions of structures, except those ordered by courts of competent jurisdiction, until the ad hoc committee concludes its investigations and interfaces with the FCT administration within the next two weeks.”
Senator Kingibe, in her lead debate, said that the demolition exercise often deviated from due process.
She expressed worries that affected individuals had suffered immense losses.
She said: “In recent times, the demolition exercise in the FCT was no longer based on reasons that necessitated the demolition. A cross-section of individuals have suffered untold hardships occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.”
Kingibe specifically highlighted the ongoing revocation and demolition of Messrs Paulosa Estate, chaired by the late Colonel Paul Osakpawan Ogbebor.
According to her, the land had been properly allocated to him in 1984, with all necessary documentations.
During the debate, Senator Karimi Sunday (APC – Kogi West), however, argued against halting demolitions without first hearing from the FCT minister.
“We need to investigate this matter before giving any directive. We must hear from the minister. You cannot shave a man’s head at his back,” he said.
However, Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (APC – Ondo Central), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, and Legal Matters, disagreed.
He supported the motion to stop the demolitions, emphasising fairness and the need to avoid irreversible actions during the investigation.
“Are we saying that we should allow the place to be demolished while we are trying to look into it? What is fair is to say stop the situation today and let us investigate,” Adegbonmire argued.
Meanwhile, Wike, on Thursday, stated that his administration would not be blackmailed by allegations of land grabbing in the discharge of its duties.
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