Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), says his administration would not be swayed by blackmail or protests.

On November 5, residents of Ruga, a settlement along the airport road in Abuja, embarked on a demonstration against the minister over the demolition of structures.

The protesters were led by Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and activist.

The protesters demanded the minister’s sack, while alleging ancestral ownership of the demolished settlements.

Speaking on Sunday in Abuja, Wike vowed to continue demolition of all shanties posing a security threat to residents of the capital city.

The minister made the pledge after inspecting the ongoing demolition of shanties in Ruga.

Wike expressed dismay that the area had been demolished 22 times and yet the occupants have refused to leave.

“Be assured that we will continue with the demolition of shanties that pose a security threat to FCT, Abuja,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter what colouration; whatever name anybody wants to give to it, we will do the right thing and nothing will stop us.”

The minister cautioned against rebuilding in the area, emphasising the FCT administration’s responsibility to maintain Abuja’s master plan.

“This is where you have the rail line; this is a buffer zone and if we allow these kinds of people to live here, what it means is that anything can happen to our train,” he said.

“Nobody will take that risk. You can imagine the number of persons that are living here, whom we cannot identify.

“We have told them that nobody should build anything, whether temporary or permanent, until the government has taken a final decision on what to do with the land.”

The minister asked Abba Gara, spokesperson for the occupants, to select five representatives for a crucial meeting with government officials on Tuesday to discuss a peaceful resolution.

Wike said select areas of demolished settlements will be repurposed as bus terminals.

Monday Okpebholo, Edo governor-elect, has appointed Fred Itua, a journalist with The Sun newspaper, as his chief press secretary.

Itua’s appointment was contained in a statement personally signed by the governor-elect.

Okpebholo’s swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for November 12.

Itua boasts over 13 years as a writer, journalist, and communications consultant.

Until his appointment, he was the assistant political editor at The Sun newspaper.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, a Master’s degree in Media Arts from the University of Abuja, and is in the final stages of his PhD thesis in Development Communication at Veritas University, Abuja.

“Itua brings unparalleled expertise to the table, leveraging extensive experience covering national assembly, migration, health, anti-corruption, and environmental issues to provide profound insights into national and international affairs,” the statement reads.

“His commitment to lifelong learning and cross-cultural collaboration makes him a highly adaptable team player, ready to lead and innovate in multicultural settings.”

Cristel Nchama, one of the women featured in Baltasar Engonga‘s viral sex tapes, has filed a formal complaint with the National Gendarmerie of Malabo; the armed forces of Equatorial Guinea.

Engonga, Equatorial Guinea’s director-general of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), has been in the public eye after officials, who searched his home and office as part of an investigation into alleged fraud, uncovered about 400 explicit videos purportedly featuring him and multiple women.

Among the discoveries were tapes of Engonga seemingly having romps with his brother’s wife, his cousin, the sister of the president of Equatorial Guinea, the wife of the director general of police, and about 20 wives of ministers, among others.

The now-viral videos were filmed in his office, hotels, and toilets allegedly with the consent of the participants.

According to Real Equatorial Guinea, Cristel, in the complaint, revealed that she had a four-year relationship with Engonga and felt humiliated by the leaked videos.

She claimed that Engonga “misled” her into trusting him and that she previously resisted being filmed, believing any recordings were deleted.

Cristel also demanded that Engonga pays for the damages caused to her “reputation and honour”.

“I am humiliated, it is my reputation, my honour, I want to know where these images came from and why he kept the images,” she said.

The embattled head of ANIF was sacked on Thursday.

The government also suspended all officials said to have had sexual relations in offices of ministries.