The Nigerian Senate has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to pause the ongoing demolition of properties within the territory pending the outcome of an investigation by an ad-hoc committee.
This decision followed a motion presented by Senator Ireti Kingibe, who raised concerns about the scale and process of the demolition exercise. Kingibe highlighted the hardships faced by affected individuals and the alleged deviation from due process. She noted that properties worth billions of naira had been lost, adding that many demolitions seemed arbitrary and lacked proper justification.
Kingibe explained that the Federal Capital Administration (FCA) initiated the demolition under the directive of the FCT Minister, citing reasons such as illegal structures and undeveloped allocated plots. However, she argued that recent demolitions no longer adhered to these justifications or to the necessary legal processes. She also referenced specific cases, including the revocation and demolition of Merss Paulosa Estate, a property allocated to the late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa in 1984, who was recognized as one of the first intakes of the Nigerian Defence Academy.
In response to the motion, Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West expressed reservations about halting the minister’s actions, suggesting instead that the Senate investigate the demolitions already carried out.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, however, cautioned against allowing further damage before addressing the situation. He emphasized the risk of legal actions against the government by those affected by the demolitions and urged the Senate to act responsibly.
Following deliberations, the Senate ruled in favor of suspending the demolitions and established an ad-hoc committee, chaired by Senator Jibrin Barau, to investigate the matter comprehensively.
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