The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused civil servants of collaborating with land grabbers to undermine the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
He made this statement during a press briefing in Abuja, where he vowed to address the issue head-on.
Wike alleged that some individuals had purchased hectares of land and were reselling them to Abuja residents with the help of corrupt staff from the legal and land secretariat.
He dismissed allegations of land grabbing made against him by Nicholas Ukachukwu, chairman of SNECOU Group Limited, stating that cases of land grabbing are under investigation.
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On the other hand, Ukachukwu accused Wike of ordering the demolition of his investment on 214 hectares of land in the Asokoro district without a court order. Ukachukwu claimed to have received national honors in 2003 for his contributions to housing development in Abuja and questioned Wike’s integrity.
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In response, Wike refuted Ukachukwu’s allegations, stating that investors were defrauding the government by buying land in large quantities and reselling them to residents. He emphasized that the FCTA would not tolerate such practices and hinted at possible disciplinary actions against corrupt civil servants.
The conflict highlights the challenges faced by the FCTA in managing land issues and the need to address corruption within the system.