# DemolitionsEver since Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s administration, a common dread among Abuja residents is the sudden appearance of a bulldozer accompanied by a security team, signaling an impending demolition. In a bid to enforce strict adherence to the "Abuja Master Plan," numerous houses, churches, and businesses in various parts of the FCT, particularly the suburbs, have been demolished without adequate provisions for relocating the affected families. This has resulted in tragic loss of lives due to the shock and trauma of losing homes, businesses, and valuable possessions.

Even after several years post El-Rufai’s era, demolitions still continue in specific areas, disregarding the financial setbacks and the profound emotional, physical, and psychological toll on property owners. In a region where property prices have significantly soared, acquiring land and constructing a building symbolize a major life milestone. While residents are often notified in advance of impending demolitions to allow them to make alternative arrangements and vacate the premises, the process remains distressing for those affected.

# Unauthorised demolition

Residents and property owners in the Committee on Resettlement and Development Layout popularly called CRD Layout in Lugbe, a suburb located along the Airport, have sent several petitions and “Save our Souls” messages to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other relevant authorities to help them protect their properties from unauthorised demolition. The distressed residents decried what they described as the incessant harassment and threats from officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the managers of River Park Estate to demolish their homes and re- allocate their lands to private estate developers.

The residents said that on February 7, 2024, they returned from work to find demolition notices pasted on the walls of their buildings by persons who claimed to be officials of the Development Control Department of the FCDA. The notices informed owners of the affected houses that their properties had been marked for demolition within 21 days to make way for a central market in the area. In a petition sent to the FCT Office of the Department of State Services (DSS), the residents queried how a layout which had been in existence since 1996 with fully developed properties, would suddenly be converted into a central market without the knowledge of residents and land owners.

The residents alleged that one Paul Odili, a private estate developer and alleged ally of former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, was conniving with some FCDA officials in the Development Control Department to harass, intimidate, and illegally dispossess them of their properties. According to the petition,, Odili, through his firms, Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited; Jonah Nigeria Limited, and Paulo Homes Limited in River Park Estate, has been waging series of illegal wars to achieve territorial expansion of his allocation into CRD land area since 2014. INSIDE ABUJA checks revealed that Odili and his private estate development firms, were allocated part of the CRD area in 2007 by the then Nasir el-Rufai administration but thereafter, extended the allocation and have so far acquired almost half of the CRD area. of about 474 hectares.

# Landlords

Abdulwasiu Mustapha, the Chairman of the CRD Residents and Landlords Association, clarified that the CRD zone was established in 1996 by the FCDA to rehouse and resettle individuals impacted by the widening and extension of the Airport Road in the Lugbe 1 region. He stated, "The majority of the plots in the CRD Layout were lawfully procured from the FCDA. The layout was meticulously planned with a range of amenities, such as schools, hospitals, markets, community centers, recreational spaces, places of worship, police stations, and other public facilities."

“The area in contention, CRD Lugbe 1 Layout is identified in the Abuja Geographic Information System (AGIS) as Plot No. 0235, where land title owners have fully developed and occupied since 1996. “Our lands were given to Paul Odili without due process of law or revocation of existing titles in clear violation of the rights of the property owners. Since then, our lives have been a living hell.

“This man has deployed all known means to forcefully sack us from our lands. He has deployed security agencies to constantly, harass, intimidate, threaten, arrest, and detain our people without any lawful excuse. “He has demolished our homes, barricaded our roads, dug trenches around our houses and fenced our community in without outlets to the rest of the world. We have written to virtually all public institutions for intervention without success. We have sought reprieve from the courts, but he has ignored every restraining court orders without any consequence. “Today, we are still in court with him, while some of our people have obtained judgments against him, both at the High Court and Court of Appeal without abating his threats and harassment. We want the president and the FCT minister to wade in and save us.”

# Failure to address situation

Despite several the “Save Our Souls” petitions sent to several government authorities, including the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the National Assembly, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, few weeks ago Odili embarked on a demolition exercise with a promise to continue soonest. The residents lamented that all promises by security operatives and other relevant authorities to convene a meeting of all stakeholders in the crisis was yet to materialise. Instead, there are new claims that the CRD community has been re-designed with most of the fully-developed houses and structures falling within the road corridors and a central market.

Unperturbed about the complaints of residents against him, Paul Odili has continued to carry out his threats unhindered whenever he wishes, as he consistently swears that his political association was enough to get him his bidding in Nigeria. The most recent Invasion occurred on Saturday, March 9, 2024. On that day, Odili again allegedly mobilised thugs with bulldozers to pull down some portions of Lugbe neigbnourhood which the residents see as an extra judicial action and brash display of power. Bola Ogunnubi, a resident, described the action as highhanded. “I am amazed that a private individual could be allowed to display this kind of raw power under a democracy, simply because he is connected to some powerful Nigerians. It is disheartening.

“But it is the duty of the state to protect vulnerable citizens like us. How do you describe the scenario that a single man could mobilise thugs to pull down structures in our neigbbourhood?” Another resident, Mr. Stanley Nwaokike who obtained his land legally from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) over a decade ago, highlighted River Park’s encroachment on other people’s property, the demolition of buildings, and disputes over conflicting layouts. “Early in 2014, we noticed that River Park was encroaching on our property, causing trees to fall and bulldozing. What really caught our attention, though, was that one of us who was building had his building demolished.

We all went there in response to the outcry, and we encountered the tractor man, police officers, and other officials who accompanied them to demolish buildings. We informed them that this was not the River Park area. They brought a layout map that we don’t know where it came from, but we brought our own, and we were able to convince them that their own layout wasn’t registered with the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).”

# Presidential intervention

In a renewed appeal to President Bola Tinubu for the protection of their community against further demolitions, residents have vowed to resist any additional demolition efforts, even if it leads to a complex crisis. Members of the United Lugbe Residents Association (ULRA) collectively stated that they will no longer endure the persistent intimidation by Paul Odili, who continues unauthorized demolition activities near River Park Estate, Lugbe, FCT. Following an emergency meeting, residents, as articulated in a statement signed by Tafa Fayemi, urged President Tinubu and law enforcement authorities to intervene by restraining Mr. Odili and his supporters to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

The communiqué partially reads: “We wish to draw the attention of fellow Nigerians, especially the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ahmed Bola Tinubu of our predicament in our neighbourhood in Lugbe, where an unrestricted demolition exercise has been going on by representatives of the owners of River Park Estate. “From time to time, they roll in bulldozers and thugs to demolish structures located near the estate.

They did it on March 8, 2024 and are currently planning to repeat same soon. But we shall resist any attempt to have structures built with our hard-earned money to be pulled down, which is why we are calling on the authorities to step in to forestall any breakdown of law and order. “We are law-abiding and tax-paying citizens of Nigeria, residing in Lugbe, FCT and cannot be allowed to be intimidated by individuals who arrogate state power to themselves. “We have written to the relevant security agencies like DSS, Nigeria Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and intend to organise a protest march to their offices to drive home our request. We are a democratic country and the rights of vulnerable and less-privileged citizens like us should be protected by the government.”