The Nigerian Senate has directed the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to immediately stop all demolition activities within the territory until an investigation into the matter is completed.
This decision was made during Thursday’s plenary session after Senator Ireti Kingibe raised concerns about the scale and impact of the demolitions.
Kingibe emphasized that the recent demolitions in the FCT had taken a “dangerous dimension,” leading to significant hardships for residents and property owners.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, she noted that the actions by the FCT administration were causing extensive losses, reportedly amounting to billions of naira.
According to Kingibe’s motion, many of the demolitions were not conducted in line with proper legal procedures or court orders. She specifically referenced the case of Merss Paulosa Estate, owned by late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa, whose property was revoked and demolished despite having been allocated in 1984 with proper documentation.
However, not all senators supported the motion to halt demolitions. Senator Sunday Karimi of Kogi West argued against interfering with the minister’s duties and suggested an investigation instead.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio disagreed, cautioning that actions taken without proper investigation could lead to legal challenges from aggrieved parties.
Following deliberations, the Senate resolved to suspend further demolitions and established an ad-hoc committee, led by Senator Jibrin Barau, to probe the situation thoroughly.
