Jikoko, Mpape landowners cry out over alleged land grabbing, seek Wike’s urgent intervention.

Landowners in Jikoko and Mpape, in Bwari Area Council, have appealed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, to protect them from alleged land grabbers accused of demolishing their fences and foundations without prior notice or revocation letters.

The landowners alleged that some private developers arrived with what they described as questionable land titles, claiming ownership of more than 60 hectares of land which, according to them, had been allocated to them by the Bwari Area Council more than 20 years ago.
Speaking on behalf of the affected landowners, Alhaji Kamarudeen Olalekan alleged that the developers, accompanied by security personnel, demolished structures on the land and disrupted their business activities.
He said the affected landowners possess valid allocation documents issued by the Bwari Area Council between 1999 and 2003, which he noted predate recent Supreme Court rulings on the authority of area councils to allocate land.
Also speaking, Madam Nkemdili Madu alleged that the speed with which building approvals were granted to the developers was suspicious.
She appealed to the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to intervene, restore the land to the original allottees and investigate any possible cases of corruption or administrative irregularities.
The aggrieved landowners, who carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Jikoko is not on the list of lands under review by the Minister” and “FCT Minister, please save us from land grabbers,” called for urgent government intervention.