A public interest lawyer and activist, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike SAN, of failing to follow due process in demolishing properties of Abuja residents and revoking their land titles.
Adeyanju made the allegation on Friday during a press conference attended by Naijaonpoint, asserting that Wike should first approach the Tribunal for approval, await its decision, and consider the subsequent verdict on the affected residents’ right to appeal, before authorizing the demolition of properties.
Adeyanju’s position is part of growing criticism from several lawyers and residents against the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s (FCTA) demolition of “illegal structures” in the Sabon-Lugbe South District Layout of the FCT and other areas, following Wike’s approval on October 22, 2024.
For Adeyanju, the FCTA under Wike’s leadership is allegedly engaging in land grabs in the FCT, including converting public parks into residential buildings.
“Because there’s due process of law, you (Wike) are supposed to have gone to the tribunal, followed the procedure. If the people lose, they have the right to appeal to the High Court. None of those legal processes were followed,” he said.
“Because if we don’t tolerate the poor, the poor will have no option but to eat the rich. And the rich will not be able to sleep if the poor cannot sleep,” he added, expressing his hope that justice will prevail for the victims.
The FCT Minister issued the demolition order in October, after an unscheduled visit to the Sabon Lugbe site, where he identified what he termed alleged “illegal structures.”
According to an FCTA statement, “The Minister directed the Director of the Department of Development Control, Town Planner Mukhtar Galadima, to liaise with various security agencies for the demolition of the illegal structures and the recovery of the land, adding that security personnel would arrest anyone who obstructs the demolition exercise.”
Naijaonpoint previously reported that the Home Builders Association of Nigeria had accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of directing the demolition of properties (Weather-Field Estate) worth over N200 billion in Sabon-Lugbe, Abuja, allegedly without a court order.