Senate urges FCT minister to suspend demolitions pending investigation

By Haruna Salami

The Senate has urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to suspend all ongoing demolitions not covered by court orders, pending the outcome of an investigation into the exercise.

The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Ireti Kingibe, (FCT) who expressed concern about the large-scale demolition of structures in Abuja, which she argued often disregards due process and inflicts significant hardship on residents.

Kingibe cited the specific case of the Paul Osang Estate, a property allocated in 1984, currently under threat of demolition despite having valid title documents.

In her motion, she said the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA) on the instruction of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, embarked on massive demolition of structures within the Federal Capital Territory, adding that the demolition, according to the FCT authority, was informed by illegal structures and non-development of allocated plots of land by the FCTA.

She expressed concern that in recent time, the demolition exercise in the FCT is no longer based on reasons adduced by the FCT administration that necessitated the demolition.

“The current demolition in the FCT is not in line with due process of court orders to demolish.
“As such, a cross-section of individuals had suffered untold hardships, occasioned by massive demolition, which has led to a loss of properties worth billions of naira.

She cited the specific case of an estate by name Mesas Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa of Bebo, is the chairman, which is currently under revocation and demolition.

“From reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with requisite title document” expressing “further concerned that the owner of this estate was a patriotic Nigerian who served the nation meritoriously and one of the first intake of the Nigerian Defense Academy Kaduna with registration number 001”.

Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who seconded the motion, called for a thorough investigation by a Senate ad-hoc committee to ensure fairness and transparency.

She proposed gathering input from affected stakeholders and summoning the FCT Minister to provide clarification.

During the debate, opinions varied among senators. While some supported halting the demolitions to allow investigations, others emphasized the importance of adhering to court orders and safeguarding the city’s master plan.

Senator Karimi Sunday (Kogi West) in his contribution said, “Mr. President, if you look at this motion, a specific land allocation was mentioned, belonging to late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa of Bebo. We don’t have sufficient information about this matter. We are being asked to instruct the minister to stop the demolitions, but there is a need to thoroughly investigate the issue before giving any directive.

“We must hear from the minister first. We cannot act without understanding the full context. You can’t shave a man’s head behind his back. Let’s ensure we gather all the facts before making a decision.”

Senator Adeniyi Adegbonire Ayodele (Ondo Central), Chairman Senate Committee on Judiciary countered Senator Karimi when he said “I must express my disagreement on this matter. We need to ensure fairness to all parties involved.

“Before us is an allegation that requires certain steps to be taken, which may eventually lead to demolitions. However, I do not believe it is appropriate to allow these demolitions to proceed while we are still investigating the matter.

“My view is straightforward: we should direct the minister to halt any demolition activities immediately and initiate an investigation to ensure a level playing field. If we allow demolitions to continue and later find that the minister acted wrongly, the damage would already be done, which would not be fair.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judicial and Legal Matters, I align with the position that the demolitions should be paused. If we proceed with demolitions before conducting an investigation, it would lead to unnecessary complications, including potential litigation by affected property owners seeking compensation.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks said “the right course of action, in my opinion, is to put a hold on all demolitions while we set up a committee to investigate. This committee can then invite the minister and other stakeholders to provide explanations and ensure that proper procedures are being followed.

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“We must ascertain that these demolitions are not driven by personal motives and are genuinely in the best interest of Nigerians. This approach will help us act responsibly and uphold the principles of justice and fairness.”

Therefore, the Senate therefore set up an ad-hoc committee with Senator Barau Jibrin as Chairman.

Other members include Senators Sahabi Ya’u, Victor Umeh, Jimoh Ibrahim, Yisa Ashiru, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, Mohammed Tahir Monguno, Abdullahi Yahaya and Idiat Oluranti Adebule.

The committee was given two weeks to conclude its findings and report back to Senate.