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How my N1billion mansion in FESTAC was demolished by FHA, Task Force in Lagos, Biz man cries out
A Civil Engineer, Mr. McDonald Ejiofor, has decried the demolition of his N500 million property by officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) at 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, describing it as the total destruction of years of labor and dreams.
Ejiofor, 48, alleged that FHA officials, policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force and hired thugs stormed his residence at Plot 1892, Route 65, Caravan Estate, with bulldozers and began pulling down the structure while his family was still inside.
He stated that he legally acquired the land from the Kuje family in 2016, following a Federal High Court judgment which, according to him, granted ownership of the disputed area to the family.
According to him, trouble started after he moved into the property nine months ago, following claims by a lawyer (names withheld) that the portion was allotted to him by the FHA.
Explaining further, he said: “The same month we moved in, my painter called me that one Barrister Ferdinand Obiora came with some hoodlums, vandalized my gate, arrested my workers, and took them to the FESTAC Police Station. I received a call from the police that they needed my attention. I was told that a man claimed to be the main allottee of the land from FHA and wanted to see me. So, I consulted my lawyer, who went there and bailed the boys because I was not in Lagos then.
“One month after that, they came to my property again and pasted a demolition notice emanating from FHA. I snapped the notice and sent it to the lawyer representing the Kuje family on the case. The history is that when the Federal High Court gave judgment in favor of the family in 2016, FHA appealed. As we speak, the matter is before the Lagos State High Court. The court directed that all parties should maintain the status quo until judgment is delivered.
“FHA should know they don’t have any right to demolish until the final judgment comes out. So, it was based on that that I had peace. But I was surprised last Saturday morning when I went to play football. Around 8 a.m., I saw about 23 missed calls from my neighbors. When I returned one of the calls, they asked me to rush home, that FHA was at my property with a bulldozer to demolish my building.
“Before I got home, they had brought down the fence and cut my building into two. I started begging them to give me time. Even my wife was inside when they began the demolition. People were shouting, telling them someone was inside, but they didn’t listen. My furniture, electronics, machines, documents, certificates, international passport, bed, and clothes were all buried under the debris.”
“The following day, over 30 policemen in six Helix vans stormed the site as we tried to block water from entering the wreckage. They beat me, my wife, and my brother, threw us into a Black Maria, and took us to the Taskforce cell at Oshodi. They forced me to sign an undertaking not to return to the property,” he alleged.
During a visit to 6th Avenue on Tuesday, more than 15 structures had already been demolished, leaving affected residents and traders in confusion. The demolition exercise was still ongoing as bulldozers pulled down structures while traders displayed their goods beside the wreckage.
A Lagos State Government-branded bulldozer was seen at the site, while officials pointed out more buildings marked for demolition. A distressed trader told Vanguard that she had yet to find a new location for her business.
At a nearby cement depot, workers were seen salvaging leftover bags of cement as bulldozers advanced toward 9th Road. Some officials claimed the structures encroached on road setbacks, but affected residents insisted that most of the demolished buildings stood behind drainage channels with visible setbacks from the main road.
Residents Fault Exercise
They also accused the FHA of carrying out selective demolition, alleging that while some buildings were spared, others, mostly privately developed properties, were deliberately targeted.
A resident of FESTAC Town, Mr. Paul Nwosu, former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, described the demolition as unfair and lacking in human consideration, noting that many traders were not issued prior warnings before the exercise.
He said: “I was passing here on Saturday when I saw them destroying the shops. I was told the reason was encroachment. But if you look closely, you’ll see the gutter and a clear setback. These buildings are in alignment with others. So how did they encroach on the road?
“I don’t have a shop here, but I sympathies with those who have spent so much to build these structures. You know how much cement, wood, and roofing cost. Then they come and knocked it down like a pack of cards. If they had given notice, people would have removed their wares, but they didn’t,” he added.
“These are investments. Even if they didn’t have permits, they could have been asked to regularize. Destroying people’s means of livelihood without notice is wicked. People would have removed their wares if they were informed. Now everything is gone,” he lamented.
Task Force Reacts
However, in a swift reaction, the Lagos State Taskforce dismissed as false the allegation that its officers unjustly arrested Ejiofor’s family members or residents during the demolition exercise conducted by the FHA.
In a viral video, a woman identified as Oneway had accused the Task Force of unlawfully detaining her husband and others during the operation. But the Agency clarified that those arrested were apprehended for attacking Task Force officials with stones and dangerous objects in an attempt to obstruct the lawful demolition of structures encroaching on FHA property. It alleged that the woman’s husband, who led the assault, had initially tried to bribe the demolition team to stop the exercise but turned violent when his offer was rejected.
Chairman of the Agency, CSP Adetayo Akerele, in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, condemned the attack and warned that preventing law enforcement officers from performing their duties is a criminal offence.
Also, the Lagos State Government denied involvement in the demolition. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, stated emphatically that the state government had no hand in the exercise, noting that the government follows a clear process before pulling down any structure.
He explained that such processes include giving all necessary notices and engaging affected persons. The commissioner urged all agencies, including federal ones, to always consult and obtain clearance from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development before carrying out any demolition.
“We want to assure residents that the Lagos State Government is committed to fairness, due process, and the protection of property rights. Any demolition done without proper authorization does not represent the position of this administration,” he said.
Efforts to reach FHA proved abortive. However, some of its concessionaires, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that those whose properties were demolished did not acquire them from the FHA. They challenged the affected persons to display their documents. (Vanguard)
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has disclosed that there are two main reasons a former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji, is being detained by the commission.
It also revealed that legal action was taken against the Enugu-born politician after he failed to honour several invitations extended to him through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, and dated 15 May 2026.
John Odey, the spokesman of the commission in a statement on Wednesday explained that the commission later approached Federal High Court, Abuja Division, with the suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026) in order to effect Nnaji’s arrest after his failure to honour invitation.
Nnaji was arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, when he boarded a private jet to Abuja.
Corroborating the development, the ICPC spokesman said Nnaji’s arrest was effected at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon his arrival where he was led to the commission’s custody immediately.
According to him, Nnaji is being probed on forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
The statement read, “The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arrested the immediate past Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Hon. Geoffrey Uchechukwu Nnaji (M), following the execution of a bench warrant issued by the Federal High Court of Nigeria.
“The arrest was effected on Wednesday, 1st July 2026 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, upon Mr. Nnaji’s arrival.
“He was apprehended with the assistance of the Department of State Services (DSS) and subsequently handed over to the ICPC for further investigation.
“The Commission had earlier extended formal invitations to the former minister through a letter referenced ICPC/HC/CSTF/GUN/GBT/T.1/VOLV16, dated 15 May 2026.
“The invitation notices were duly served to his known addresses in Abuja and Enugu, as well as via his electronic mail address.
“Despite service through multiple channels, Mr. Nnaji failed to appear for investigative interviews on the scheduled dates, necessitating further legal action.
“The legal action followed a court order granted by the Federal High Court in the Abuja Judicial Division (Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1160/2026).
“The order, issued on 11 June 2026, directed the ICPC to arrest the former minister to enable investigation into allegations bordering on:
“Forgery of academic credentials, specifically concerning a degree certificate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN); and “False National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge Certificate, which was submitted during his ministerial screening process in 2023.
“Following the arrest, Mr. Nnaji has been taken into custody at the ICPC headquarters in Abuja, where investigations are expected to continue. The Commission assures the public that the matter will be pursued diligently in accordance with the law.”
The immediate past Minister of Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, was arrested on Wednesday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on arrival from Enugu via a chartered flight.
Authoritative sources at the airport confirmed the arrest to PREMIUM TIMES, saying Mr Nnaji would be handed over to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for interrogation.
The reported arrest comes weeks after the Federal High Court reportedly granted the ICPC permission to arrest and investigate Nnaji over the allegations.
The court also authorised the anti-graft agency to declare him wanted through newspapers, social media platforms and other media channels after the commission alleged that he repeatedly failed to honour invitations for questioning.
According to the ICPC, its application to the court followed Nnaji’s alleged refusal to appear before investigators despite several invitations relating to the forgery allegations.
The case stems from a two-year investigation published by Premium Times in October last year, which alleged that Nnaji submitted forged University of Nigeria degree and National Youth Service Corps certificates during his ministerial screening and confirmation process in 2023.
The report alleged that the documents were presented to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian Senate, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the State Security Service.
According to the publication, Nnaji later acknowledged that the University of Nigeria did not issue him the degree certificate in question, a development the newspaper said corroborated its investigation.Newspapers
The former minister had previously denied the existence of the court order authorising his arrest, dismissing the publication as a “media trial.”
However, on June 18, he reportedly filed an appeal before the Court of Appeal, seeking to overturn the arrest order.
As of the time of filing this report, the ICPC had not issued an official statement confirming the reported arrest, while Nnaji’s legal team had yet to publicly respond to the latest development.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, restored the bail it had earlier granted to activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
Sowore is facing a two-count cybercrime charge filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) for calling President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” in a social media post.
Trial Justice Muhammed Umar, who had earlier granted the defendant bail on self-recognisance, on June 16 revoked the bail and issued a warrant for his arrest.
The order came after Sowore failed to appear before the court for the continuation of his trial, even though he wrote a letter explaining his absence and requesting a new date.
When proceedings resumed in the case on June 22, Justice Umar ordered the remand of the defendant in Kuje prison.
Dissatisfied with the actions the court took against him, Sowore—whose legal team had initially withdrawn from the case over alleged bias by the judge—secured a new lawyer, who promptly filed a motion to restore his bail and quash the arrest warrant.
When the case came up on Tuesday, Justice Umar held that he was minded to admit the defendant to bail.
However, the court listed some conditions that had to be met before he would be released from prison custody.
Aside from granting him bail to the tune of N200 million, the court held that the defendant must produce two sureties in like sum.
The court also ordered the defendant to surrender his international passport.
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Sowore, in the application he anchored on Sections 35(4), 36(1), and 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as Sections 169 and 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, insisted that the orders the court made against him were unjust and unwarranted.
The defendant had, on December 2, 2025, pleaded not guilty to the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/484/2025, filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The charges allege offences under Sections 24(1)(b) and 24(2)(a), (b), and (c) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) (Amendment) Act, 2024.
The offending posts, made on August 25, 2025, were in response to President Tinubu’s claim, made in Brazil, that his administration had ended corruption in Nigeria.
Angered by the posts, the DSS demanded that X Inc. (formerly Twitter) and Meta Platforms Inc. ban Sowore’s accounts and remove the posts.
The security agency also wrote to Sowore, asking him to delete the posts from all platforms.
Non-compliance with the request led to the charges.
The prosecution claims the defamatory posts were intended to cause a breakdown of law and order and to tarnish the president’s reputation.
Exhibits include printouts of the posts and the DSS letters.
X Inc. and Meta were initially co-defendants but were delisted in the amended charge.
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