During a heated exchange with residents of Lugbe over land ownership disputes, President Bola Tinubu, Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike resorted to insults, declaring, “Shut up! You’re stupid!” accusing them of illegal land grabbing.
This confrontation occurred despite residents presenting legal documents to assert their claims to the land.
His remarks came during a visit to the area on Tuesday, following protests from residents who attempted to halt the demolition of their properties.
Dressed in a blue suit and his signature bowler hat, Wike appeared visibly upset, accompanied by a team of security personnel. He addressed the residents, emphasizing the importance of following legal procedures for land acquisition.
“It cannot work. You cannot come to a place and seize land and claim it as your own. We will not allow that. If not for lawlessness…” Wike declared, his voice strained with emotion.
He further warned, “If you do not know what to do, we will teach you what to do.”
The residents, however, countered his claims, insisting that they possessed legal documentation proving their ownership of the land. “We are not land grabbers; we are developers. We have papers. We have submitted these papers to the authorities,” they asserted in unison.
Wike, clearly agitated by their response, interrupted them, stating, “Shut up! Every land in the FCT belongs to the FCT. The Supreme Court has ruled that area councils do not have the authority to allot land, which is why they turned to us for approval.”
He continued, “If you believe you can harass us, you are mistaken. I will not settle with you because you have taken the law into your own hands. Who gave you the right to speak? Just because I am here to talk to you? If you think you can take something, be careful. Stupid.”
In recent months, the FCT administration has intensified property demolitions, citing breaches of the city’s master plan. Mukhtar Galadima, the director of development control at the FCTA, confirmed that many of the structures targeted for demolition were built illegally by those accused of land grabbing.
