Metro
Demolition allegation: Stop feeding the public with lies Dumebi Kachikwu tells Obinna Ararume
The Founder of Roots Television and Presidential Aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has described allegations of house demolition being peddled against him in the media by one Mr. Obinna Ararume as tissues of lies and a malicious fabrication.
Kachikwu who was reacting to allegations of demolishing part of Obinna Ararume’s house in Asokoro, wondered what a supposedly grown man would gain by going to the media with utter falsehood when he is well aware of the facts on ground.
Kachikwu said he ordinarily would not have deemed it necessary to respond to the blackmail and defamatory publications both in the television and online media, but just to state the facts as they are and prevent unsuspecting and right-thinking members of the public from being fed with lies painting him in a bad light as has already been done.
According to Kachikwu, the issue started about six years ago when Obinna Ararume and some other developers annexed parts of his property totaling about 1,500sqm and prevented him from utilizing his legally acquired land for development as intended.
Obinna Ararume on his part, had illegally annexed a part of the land measuring about 300sqm where he built a boys’ quarters, a swimming pool and a fence – a piece of land he referred to as “just two meters” in his blackmail interview with the media.
However, after several notices to quit were duly served on Obinna Ararume and others who had encroached on the land illegally, they all promised to remove the encumbrances they had caused to be erected on the land and indeed others removed theirs and reverted to the legal and statutory boundaries between their properties with the exception of Obinna Ararume who initially refused to peacefully remove the encumbrances claiming it formed a part of the land of his Father-In-Law (Mr. Theodore Orji – Former Governor of Abia State and now a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) but later accepted to remove his property on the land after pleading that same be relinquished to him which offer Mr. Kachikwu refused.
For the purpose of clarity, Kachikwu further stated: That for over six years, Obinna Ararume encroached into and annexed about 300sqm of Mr. Kachikwu’s land with a street value of over N400million and denied him the lawful use of the land by building a boys’ quarter, swimming pool and fenced the property.
That all entreaties to get him to remove the encumbrances in order for Mr. Kachikwu to develop the land failed as he initially claimed the said property belongs to his father-in-law and as such the property was theirs and he has armed security personnel who man and secure the property.
That about three years ago, when his swimming pool built on the land started leaking and the water colossally damaged Mr. Kachikwu’s property, Obinna’s attention was drawn to it, he made countless promises to peacefully remove the encumbrances and revert to the legal boundaries they all shared but never did.
After the boundary lines was formally re-established by the FCT authorities he was duly informed that Mr. Kachikwu’s engineers were going to commence work on the new boundary line which would mean removing the structures on it, and he promised to relocate his valuables from the annexed land.
That on Wednesday last week, Mr. Kachikwu’s engineers went to the site to begin work after Obinna Ararume and Mr. Kachikwu had communicated on WhatsApp where he promised to remove whatever valuables he had on the land. And in the said chats he did informed Mr. Kachikwu that he has removed his valuables thereby giving Mr. Kachikwu’s engineers the go ahead to commence removal of encumbrances from the land. The engineers thereafter went to the site with his knowledge and consent and commenced work to reclaim the property as re-established by the authorities.
Surprisingly, when the engineers returned to site on Saturday to continue their work, Obinna Ararume asked his armed security details to stop and chase them from doing their work. He thereafter invited the media to the site where he granted them interview with fabricated stories.
The record of the communications between Obinna Ararume and Kachikwu conclusively prove that Obinna Ararume is a liar and further establishes that not only did he acknowledge the said encroachment, he first pleaded that the land be ceded to him, citing the long-standing friendly relationship between the Ararume’s and Kachikwu’s families and then later accepted that the removal of the encumbrances be done after his plea failed.
That in the chats, he claimed that his family and Kachikwu’s family have had close ties for over 30 years which then destroys his claim that Kachikwu introduced himself to him
as a Presidential Aspirant.
By reason of the interview he granted, Mr. Kachikwu has been maligned and his character and reputation seriously damaged as he has not rested from calls from far and wide requesting for his response to the malicious story especially the publication by Africa Independent Television (AIT) who was amongst the television stations that visited Mr. Kachikwu to interview him after being invited by Mr. Obinna Ararume to the site where he said several lies against his person.
This press release hereby serves as a notice to Obinna Ararume to offer an unreserved apology to Mr. Kachikwu to be published in the several media outlets he employed to propagate his malicious imputations and lies against his person in which he referred to Mr. Kachikwu that he is in the habit of using security agents to intimidate and beat up Nigerians.
Mr. Kachikwu’s Media Office hereby state categorically that, failure on the part of Obinna Ararume to tender the said apology within the next 24 hours of this release, it will be left with no other option than to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction with the attendant consequences.
Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has issued a scathing response to comments made against him by Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister and former Rivers State governor. Wike had recently accused Adeyanju of being jobless, noting that the activist once sought his support in a bid to become the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national publicity secretary.
During a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Adeyanju didn’t hold back, describing Wike as “a bully and a coward.”
He went on to criticize Wike’s character and political approach, saying, “Wike has never worked anywhere in his life. He is a serial betrayer. The only difference between Wike and Portable is that Portable does not betray people who have helped him.”
Adeyanju praised Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara for his recent actions against Wike, saying, “I commend Governor Fubara for dealing decisively with him. That’s how to deal with tyrants. Wike is nothing without politics.”
He further expressed his concerns over Wike’s influence, stating, “The reason why he is making so much noise and constituting a nuisance all over the place is because of our political patrimony that he loots. Clowns and charlatans like Nyesom Wike will open their mouths and criticize true activists.”
Adeyanju also highlighted the importance of citizens participating in politics, saying, “Wike wants everyone to leave politics to rogues like him. His idea of nation-building is where people like him control everything. All citizens of conscience should get involved in politics.”
The back-and-forth between Adeyanju and Wike highlights ongoing tensions within Nigerian political circles and has sparked discussions about the role of activists and the nature of leadership in the country.
***Emotional Farewell as Nigeria Mourns a Dedicated Military Leader
Amid deep sorrow and heartfelt tributes, the late Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Taoreed Lagbaja, was laid to rest on Friday at the National Cemetery in Abuja.
His burial concluded two days of solemn funeral rites that began in Lagos, marking the end of an impactful military career.
The casket bearing Lagbaja, draped in Nigeria’s green and white, arrived at the cemetery around 3 pm following a funeral service at the National Christian Centre in Abuja.
His body was lowered into the earth at 4:41 pm after a ceremony lasting over two hours.
The event was attended by numerous dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Acting Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa, Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru, and other high-ranking officials.
President Tinubu, paying tribute, called Lagbaja’s appointment one of his most significant decisions and announced a posthumous national honor of Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) for the late COAS. He urged the military not to lose hope: “Please, do not let death defeat us, and as Commander-in-Chief, I renew my pledge that the country will always support you and your families.”
General Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, echoed this sentiment, calling Lagbaja’s passing a call to strengthen the military’s resolve.
“Let us ensure his sacrifice continues to guide us as we defend this nation. We are resolved to defeat all enemies of the state, whether within or outside,” he stated.
Acting COAS Oluyede expressed personal gratitude for Lagbaja’s mentorship, sharing that he had nominated him for a national honor even while facing illness.
Lagbaja’s funeral rites began with a service of songs at the Army Headquarters Garrison Parade Ground, Mogadishu Cantonment, on Thursday, following the arrival of his body at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport from Lagos.
Lt. General Lagbaja, born on February 28, 1968, served as Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff for over a year, having been appointed by President Tinubu in June 2023. He passed away on November 5 after a brief illness, leaving a legacy of dedication and patriotism.
A civil society group, Good Governance Alliance – Nigeria (GGA-N), has condemned the Lagos State government following an alleged invasion of former Transportation Minister Admiral Festus Porbeni’s Lekki property by state officials on Friday morning.
They called for immediate action against alleged breach of court order on Admiral Festus Porbeni’s property.
According to the group, the invasion is in direct violation of a Federal High Court order and sets a dangerous precedent for lawlessness.
In a statement issued by GGA-N representative Nathaniel Obasi, the group reported that officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force forcefully entered Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent around 7:30 am, accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen.
Obasi noted that the task force allegedly beat, arrested, and detained several individuals on the premises, placing them in a police vehicle known as ‘Black Maria.’
The statement emphasized that this raid contradicts a Federal High Court injunction prohibiting any disruption at the property and disregards a recent Supreme Court ruling granting federal control over inland waterways and adjacent lands within 100 meters.
Despite Porbeni’s possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy, the Lagos State Task Force allegedly threatened to bulldoze structures on the property, sparking concerns over escalating conflicts between state and federal jurisdiction.
GGA-N therefore urged the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Inspector-General of Police, Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and federal agencies overseeing waterways to intervene, asserting that the Lagos State government’s actions could lead to “lawlessness and chaos.”
According to him, the disputed property was previously invaded in 2021.
Obasi claimed that at about 7:30am this Friday, officials from the Lagos State Special Task Force, illegally forced their way into Admiral Porbeni’s property at Wole Olateju Crescent, Lekki, despite the Federal High Court order, which barred any agent from entering the premises or harassing any person at the premises.
It added the Lagos State Special Task Force accompanied by heavily-armed mobile policemen, beat up, arrested and threw staff and other people met on the property into a police vehicle called ‘Black Maria’, which they brought “for the illegal raid”.
“The officials who cordoned off the area are now threatening to bulldoze all structures on the property, in brazen breach of the Federal High Court order (FHC/L/CS/1384/21).
“The actions of the Task Force is also in disregard of the landmark ruling of the Supreme Court in January which affirmed the federal government’s exclusive control of the country’s inland waterways and all lands within 100 meters of all declared federal waterways in Nigeria.
“The question is despite Admiral Porbeni being in possession of a Federal Certificate of Occupancy (CofO), how is the Lagos State Government allowed to flout not only an injunction from the Federal High Court but also a ruling from the Supreme Court?
“The Lagos state government’s brazen disobedience of court orders is a recipe for lawlessness and chaos. We draw the urgent attention of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Inspector General of Police, the Governor of Lagos State and relevant federal government agencies in charge of federal waterways in the country to the illegal raid and occupation by the Lagos State Special Task Force,” Obasi stated
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