‘Let Heaven Fall,’ Wike says no going back on FCT Demolitions

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has vowed to continue demolishing properties in the nation’s capital despite pressure.

Wike has been criticised for embarking on widespread demolition of houses in Abuja.

A construction company, Paullosa Nigeria Limited, had recently raised the alarm over a demolition notice issued by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to demolish its estate in the Lifecamp area of Abuja.

The General Manager of the Estate, Mr Vincent Enoghase, who spoke to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, claimed the FCDA had demanded N10 million, for a Right of Occupancy, which it had paid but was yet to get receive before the issuance of the quit notice.

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In a viral video on Wednesday, social media commentator, Vincent Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, alleged that the FCT Minister, had revoked the land titles to the Estate, and issued the same to a Saravera Nigeria Limited, and the Minority Leader and member of the House of Representatives representing Obio/Akpor Constituency, Kingsley Chinda.

VeryDarkMan called on security agencies to intervene, noting that the original owner of the land was the first cadet of the Nigerian Army who passed on four years ago.

The senate had set up a panel to probe the issue, while asking Wike to halt demolitions.

But speaking during the distribution of operational vehicles to security agencies at the FCTA secretariat on Thursday, Wike said the structures being demolished by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) are properties illegally built on government lands.

“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja, we are not afraid of blackmail. In fact, you cannot be in this kind of position and say you cannot be blackmailed particularly as regards this Abuja. There are so many land grabbers. Some of us have come to put our feet down. Let heaven fall. It is even better that heaven comes down now so that we would not be fasting again to go to heaven.

“We would stop anybody who thinks they will take government land for whatever reason without formal approval. We would not look at your face. If you like be a civil rights activist or a television personality. No amount of blackmail can stop us. People take government property without approval or documentation.”