In a fierce and emotional statement, Mrs. Rita Lori Ogbebor, the octogenarian widow of late Colonel Paul Ogbebor, has expressed her disdain over the recent actions of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, regarding the controversial land dispute in Abuja. Ogbebor, whose late husband played a pivotal role in the construction of Nigeria’s capital city, declared she would rather die than appeal to Wike or President Bola Tinubu for intervention in the matter.
The dispute revolves around the land holdings in the Life Camp area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a region where the Ogbebors, through their company Paullosa Nigeria Limited, have held property for over 40 years. The situation escalated recently when Wike’s administration revoked the land interests of several residents in the area, a move that led to widespread protests and resistance from the affected parties.
In an exclusive press conference on Friday, Mrs. Ogbebor expressed deep frustration over the actions of the FCT Minister. She recounted how her late husband, Colonel Paul Ogbebor, was among the engineers who played a critical role in the development of Abuja, building its infrastructure and laying the foundations of the modern capital. She emphasized that it would be beneath her dignity to approach Wike or President Tinubu, citing her husband’s significant contributions to the country’s progress.
“I am not saying that the President should know me, but the people around him should recognize those of us who have contributed to the country’s development,” Mrs. Ogbebor said. “My husband was one of those who built Abuja. He was given land as an engineer to work on the capital. Now, after 42 years, they want to demolish our property and give it to someone named Chinda? Who is Chinda? How old was he when we came here? He was only 14 years old at the time, just like Wike.”
The History of the Ogbebor Family in Abuja
The Ogbebor family’s ties to Abuja date back to the 1970s when Colonel Paul Ogbebor, a prominent Nigerian military officer and engineer, played an instrumental role in the city’s early development. As part of a broader effort to move Nigeria’s capital from Lagos to Abuja, Ogbebor was tasked with overseeing key construction projects that helped transform the barren plains of the Federal Capital Territory into the vibrant city it is today.
During this time, Ogbebor was allocated several pieces of land as compensation for his contributions to the capital’s development. One of these plots, located in the Life Camp area, has been the focus of the current dispute. The land has been under the management of Paullosa Nigeria Limited, the estate company founded by Ogbebor.
For over four decades, the Ogbebors maintained control over this land, developing it into a valuable property that housed numerous families. However, in recent weeks, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, revoked the land titles of the residents, sparking anger among the affected parties. Residents claim that there was a subsisting court order preventing such revocations, making Wike’s actions both illegal and unjust.
Wike’s Demolition Orders and the Resistance
The controversy took a dramatic turn when FCT officials, acting on Wike’s orders, stormed the Life Camp community with bulldozers, intending to demolish homes built on the disputed land. The residents, many of whom had lived in the area for years, resisted the demolition, citing the court order that prohibited such actions. Videos of the bulldozers and the resistance quickly went viral, capturing public attention and igniting debates about the legality of the FCT’s actions.
One of the vocal critics of the demolitions is Martins Vincent Otse, a social media influencer known as VeryDarkMan. In one of his videos, Otse highlighted that the land in question originally belonged to a late prominent military officer whose family now occupies it. He alleged that Wike’s administration had revoked the land and reallocated it to political cronies, a move he described as part of a larger pattern of land grabs by the current administration.
Ogbebor’s Strong Rejection of Appeals
In her public statement, Mrs. Ogbebor was adamant that she would not seek the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, despite the ongoing legal and political crisis. “I would rather die than go to Wike or the President to beg for help,” Ogbebor declared. She emphasized the disrespect she felt given her age and the decades-long history her family had in Abuja. “Is it not belittling for me, at the age of 84, to go and meet the president to say, ‘Someone in my country is demolishing my house’?” she asked.
Her defiance comes as a reflection of both personal pride and a broader frustration with the way the land dispute has been handled by the authorities. She implied that the decision to demolish the properties was a sign of disrespect to those who helped build the country’s capital, noting that her late husband and others of his generation made significant sacrifices for the city’s development.
Wike and the Demolition Orders
Nyesom Wike, who took office as the FCT Minister under President Tinubu’s administration, has been at the center of the controversy. Wike, who previously served as the governor of Rivers State, has earned a reputation for being a hard-hitting politician unafraid to take decisive actions. His tenure as FCT Minister has been marked by a series of ambitious projects aimed at expanding and modernizing Abuja, but also by controversies, particularly regarding the revocation of land titles.
Critics argue that the land grabs are not just a matter of legal disputes but are also politically motivated. Some believe that Wike’s administration is seeking to reallocate land in Abuja to reward political allies or cronies, a claim that has been echoed by various activists and opposition figures. However, Wike has defended the actions as necessary for the development and expansion of Abuja, citing the need to reclaim land for government use and urban planning.
A Call for Justice
In her emotional appeal, Mrs. Ogbebor called for a fair resolution to the situation, stressing that the current government should recognize the contributions of families like hers to the development of Abuja. She suggested that those in positions of power around President Tinubu should be more aware of the history of Abuja and the role played by families such as the Ogbebors.
“I do not need to go begging,” Ogbebor concluded. “Those who know me and my family should take the matter up with the President. My husband’s work speaks for itself. We should not be treated this way, and we deserve justice.”
As the dispute continues to unfold, the Ogbebor family and other affected residents of the Life Camp community remain determined to fight for their rights. The case has now become a symbol of broader concerns about land ownership, political favoritism, and the legacy of Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.
