Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor, widow of the late officer Ikponmwosa Paul-Ogbebor, owner of Paulosa Nigeria Limited, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of reallocating her family’s 2.5-hectare estate land to Saravera Nigeria Limited, allegedly controlled by Kingsley Chinda, the House of Representatives Minority Leader.
The property, located in the Life Camp area of Abuja, was originally allocated to the family in 1984. Addressing the press in Abuja, the 84-year-old businesswoman described the situation as a grave injustice, vowing to fight the purported reallocation of the land to Wike’s political associate.
She stressed that despite her family’s significant contributions to Abuja’s development, their property rights are now being threatened.
Paulosa Nigeria Limited, one of the pioneering construction firms that helped develop Abuja, had been engaged in a longstanding effort to resolve land documentation issues with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA). Rita Lori-Ogbebor questioned how Saravera Nigeria Limited managed to secure approval for both the Right of Occupancy (R of O) and Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) within two months of application.
The controversy stems from claims of land use violations and unpaid charges, which the Minister cited as justification for revoking titles.
Wike further alleged that the estate had become a criminal hideout.
However, Lori-Ogbebor refuted these claims, insisting the family possesses all valid ownership documents.
She revealed that her family had already made part-payment of N10 million toward ground rents but was not informed of any deadline for completing the balance before receiving a quit notice and demolition warning.
The Ogbebor family insisted they were entitled to proper notification of payment deadlines and potential consequences before their land title was revoked on December 9, 2024.
Osaruonanen Ogbebor, one of the widow’s sons, explained that their efforts to resolve the issue have been stalled by bureaucratic hurdles.
He stated that since 2020, they had been working to validate their allocation, a process initially approved under Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s tenure and restarted in early 2023 by former FCT Minister Mohammed Musa Bello.
However, they discovered that their plot number was inexplicably missing from the system, preventing them from generating receipts and making further payments.
Despite a required survey plan being conducted, the family’s file reportedly remains on the current Minister’s desk awaiting approval.
To their shock, the family recently learned that the same plot had been reallocated to Saravera Nigeria Limited.
Ikponmwosa Ogbebor, another son, questioned how Saravera obtained the allocation and demanded proof of payment receipts generated via the Remita system.
The family argued that the reallocation of the plot, especially under unresolved circumstances, violated due process. Residents of the estate, who have occupied the property since 1991, vowed to resist demolition efforts.
Amid growing concerns, the Senate intervened on Thursday, calling on Wike to halt all demolitions pending the outcome of its investigation. The Senate also established an ad hoc committee, chaired by Deputy Senate President Barau I. Jibrin, to examine the legality of the demolitions and summoned Wike to appear before the committee.
Meanwhile, Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to the FCT Minister, challenged those alleging land grabbing to provide genuine evidence of ownership, including the Right of Occupancy or Certificate of Occupancy issued by the FCTA.
A source close to the matter alleged that bureaucratic delays in processing land documentation are deliberate and aimed at reallocating prime lands to political allies. The source further accused Wike of using land allocations as a strategy to empower his associates ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that more Nigerians might become victims of such practices.
Rita Lori-Ogbebor lamented the situation, describing it as an affront to her family’s legacy and her late husband’s contributions to Abuja’s development. She emphasized that at her age, she should not have to appeal to the President to protect her family’s rightful property.
