The Nigerian Senate, during its plenary on Thursday, urged the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration to suspend all ongoing demolitions, except those sanctioned by court orders, pending the outcome of an investigations into the exercise.
The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Ireti Kingibe, representing the FCT.
Senator Kingibe had expressed concern about the large-scale demolition of structures in Abuja, which she argued often disregards due process and inflicts significant hardship on residents.
She cited the specific case of the Paul Osang Estate, a property allocated in 1984, currently under threat of demolition despite having valid title documents.
While Presenting her motion she indicated that the Federal Capital Administration, on the instruction of Honorable Minister of Federal Capital Territory, embarked on massive demolition of structures within the Federal Capital Territory. She explained that the demolition, according to the FCT authority, was informed by illegal structures and non-development of allocated plots of land by the FCT administration.
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.
According to her, 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.
Specifically she expressed worry that at the moment, an estate by name Mesas Paulosa, for which late Colonel Paul Osang Kwanwa of Bebo, is the chairman, is currently under revocation and demolition.
“From reliable information, the said plot of land was allocated to him in 1984 with requisite title document. And 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 seconded the motion, calling 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 representing the people of Kogi West in his response 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.”
Senate committee chairman on Judiciary Senator Adeniyi Adegbonire Ayodele who also represents Ondo Central countered Senator Karimi
“With respect, 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 External 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 on his part 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.
“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.”
The Senate therefore set up an adhoc committee with Senator Barau Jibrin as Chairman and other members including 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