Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), lashed out at residents of the Lugbe area over alleged land grabbing.

On Tuesday, the minister paid a visit to the area after residents reportedly protested and prevented the demolition of their properties.

Donning a blue suit and his trademark bowler hat, a furious Wike, who was surrounded by security operatives, gave a coterie of the residents a lecture on how to legally acquire land.

“It cannot work. You cannot come to a place and seize land and say it is your own. We will not allow that. If not for lawlessness…” the minister said in a raspy tone.

“If you do not know what to do, we will teach you what to do.”

The residents protested the minister’s claim and said they had documents to prove legal ownership of the land.

“We are not land grabbers, we are developers. We have papers. We have submitted these papers to the authorities,” they chorused.

It was all Wike needed to fly off the handle.

“Shut up!” the minister thundered.

“Every land in the FCT belongs to the FCT. The supreme court said the area councils do not have that power to allot land. And that was why the area councils came to us to grant them that request.

“The only thing you can do is go to court. If you like harass us. I will not settle you because you have taken laws into your hands.

“Who told you you can talk? Is it because I came down to talk to you? If you think that you take something… you are not the only one. Be careful. Stupid.”

Recently, the FCT administration has been demolishing properties over alleged flouting of the city’s masterplan.

Mukhtar Galadima, director of development control at FCTA, said the structures were illegally erected by alleged land grabbers.

In March, Wike told the house of representatives committee on FCT that some officials of the federal capital development authority (FCDA) illegally allocated land to individuals and developers before he was appointed minister.

“Every year, we have no less than 1,000 suits, and all these require a lot of money. As we speak today, we have more than 600 judgments on FCT,” he said.

The Lagos State Government has unveiled plans to assist residents of over 15 distressed buildings in Iponri Housing Estate, Surulere, following a two-week evacuation order issued by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

This initiative is intended to mitigate the impact of the eviction process on affected residents.

Adu Ademuyiwa, Director of Public Affairs at LASBCA, disclosed this development through a statement on the agency’s official X account on Tuesday.

The statement highlighted a meeting held at LASBCA’s headquarters in Ikeja, GRA, between LASBCA, the Lagos Building Investment Company (LBIC), and the residents.

Arc. Gbolahan Oki, General Manager of LASBCA, emphasized that the demolition is critical to ensuring public safety by preventing potential building collapses.

He clarified that the action is not punitive and noted that LASBCA is working closely with LBIC to ensure residents are relocated within the two-week timeframe.

“The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos Building Investment Company Plc (LBIC) met with the residents of Iponri Housing Estate, whose buildings were marked for demolition due to their distressed conditions, and a two-week ultimatum was given to them to evacuate at LASBCA’s Headquarters in Ikeja, GRA,” the statement read in part.

It added: “Oki stressed that the Lagos State Building Control Agency is working assiduously with Lagos Building Investment Company Plc to ensure that the affected residents are properly and adequately relocated within the period given for evacuation. This is a move that will help cushion the effect of the eviction on the affected residents.”

LBIC Managing Director, Olusola Falaye, assured residents that the relocation process will be carefully coordinated to minimize disruption.

He also revealed that LBIC will collaborate with other agencies to assess the structural integrity of other estates across Lagos to prevent future risks of building collapse.

The statement further noted that the Adhoc Committee, comprising representatives from Iponri estate and LBIC officials, has been formed to oversee the relocation process and ensure smooth communication with residents throughout the transition.

Honourable Sulaiman Yusuf, Chairman of Surulere Local Government, commended the government’s efforts and urged it to fulfill its commitments to the displaced residents. He also appealed for the original allottees to be prioritized once reconstruction is completed.

The statement noted that the demolition and relocation initiative reflects Lagos State’s broader strategy to address unsafe structures and promote urban renewal, ensuring both public safety and sustainable transitions for residents.

The Nigeria Police Command in Enugu State has confirmed the death of a young man, Chikwado Eze, from Ugbaike community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.

Eze was seeking fortification before traveling abroad when he died during a ritual conducted by a native doctor, Mr. Enuwa Odugu.

The incident occurred after Eze was buried alive for one hour and thirty minutes (1 hour, 30 minutes) as part of the ritual, which was meant to ensure his success overseas.

In a statement by the police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, it was confirmed that the native doctor, Enuwa Odugu (48), and the victim’s father, Uwakwe Eze (67), have been arrested for conspiracy and the murder of 26-year-old Chikwado Celestine Eze.

The police report noted that the native doctor confessed to the crime, as well as performing similar rituals in the past. He claimed that the victim’s death was caused by his failure to follow specific ritualistic rules that had been prescribed to him.

Ndukwe’s statement read: “A native doctor, one Enuwa Odugu ‘m’, aged 48, and Uwakwe Eze ‘m’, aged 67, were arrested for conspiracy and the murder of Eze’s 26-year-old son, one Chikwado Celestine Eze.

“The incident is alleged to have occurred when Uwakwe Eze took his son to the native doctor’s shrine for rituals intended to fortify him with charms. However, during the ritual, the deceased was buried in a coffin but unfortunately died in the process. He was rushed to the hospital and confirmed dead by the attending doctor, and his body has been deposited in the mortuary for preservation and autopsy.”

The police are continuing their investigation, and the suspects will be arraigned in court once the investigation is concluded.