News
Wike decries activities of land grabbers in FCT
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has vowed to stop anybody from taking land belonging to the territory without approval.
Wike stated this while handing over 50 operational vehicles to security agencies in the FCT, in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister, who decried the activities of land grabbers in the territory, said, “We will stop anybody who thinks he can obtain government land for whatever reason without formal approval.
“We will not look at your face. If you like, you can be a civil rights activist; If you like, you can be a television talker. What is wrong is wrong.
“No amount of blackmail can stop us.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media to Wike, had on Wednesday refuted allegations of land grabbing against the FCT Administration.
Olayinka in a statement explained that someone in a video being circulated on social media has claimed that the FCTA has grabbed land belonging to a construction company.
He said that the said land is located in Life Camp, Plot 2241, Gwarinpa District, Cadastral Zone C02, Abuja.
He explained that a construction company, Paulosa Nigeria Ltd occupied the land as a temporary office, under a temporary R of O granted in 1984, about 40 years ago.
Olayinka had challenged those circulating the falsehood about their lands being grabbed by the FCTA to provide Right of Occupancy (R of O) or Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) granted by the FCTA.
Sharing this view, the minister said that if the government gave a construction company a temporary site, the land does not automatically belong to the company after executing the project.
“Show me the document that the land belongs to you.
“I am not the kind of person that you will scare by going on television, claiming that you have been living there for 20 years. So what? You are just a squatter.
“If your husband had a company who did a job for FCT and had a site to stay, that doesn’t make it your husband’s property; it doesn’t,” Wike said.
The minister said that he had published names of landowners in Abuja that were owing FCTA ground rent and other taxes.
Wike added that he would revoke the land of anybody that refuses to pay.
“All those who have not paid, who thought we are joking, I am going to revoke all. So, if you are sitting here, go and check your records.
“If you have not paid, I will give you time to pay. But once the time expires, forget it, I will revoke it, and I will give it to those who will pay,” Wike said.
He said that the current wage bill of workers in the FCTA was within the range of N13 billion and N14 billion per month.
This amount, the minister said, was grossly inadequate to pay salaries and implement capital projects.
He said that the FCT, therefore, depends largely on taxes and other Internally Generated Revenue to construct roads, renovate schools, improve health services and provide other services to residents.
NAN reports that available documents on the Life Camp property shows that for 36 years, Paulosa Nigeria Ltd occupied the land, built permanent structures on it and rented them out without any approval from the government.
Although the company had on Nov.18, 2020, applied for the conversion of the temporary to statutory R of O, which was granted in February 2023 but subject to fulfilling certain terms and conditions.
However, 20 months after, the company did not comply with the terms and conditions for the approval and on Oct. 10, 2024, the approval was revoked. (NAN)
The Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Muhammed Matawalle, has engaged in a high-level security meeting with a leading Chinese manufacturer of advanced anti-terrorism and high-tech defence equipment, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s defence capabilities.
The meeting, which took place in China, underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to modernising the nation’s security apparatus to combat insurgency and other threats.
According to a statement signed by the minister’s Personal Assistant (Media), Ahmad Dan-Wudil, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, the engagement focused on formalising a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Chinese firm and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
The collaboration is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing Nigeria’s security sector, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s defence framework.
The MoU outlines a robust partnership, with the Chinese company committing to significant investments in Nigeria’s defence infrastructure.
According to the statement, Key components of the agreement include the transfer of cutting-edge defence technology, the establishment of local manufacturing capabilities for advanced military equipment, and capacity-building initiatives to enhance the technical skills of Nigerian personnel.
“This move is seen as a step towards building a self-reliant and globally competitive military-industrial base.
Dr. Matawalle emphasised that the partnership represents a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s defence modernisation agenda.
“This collaboration will not only strengthen our fight against terrorism but also position Nigeria as a regional leader in defence technology,” he stated.
The minister highlighted the government’s determination to leverage international partnerships to address the nation’s evolving security challenges.
Under the terms of the agreement, new production lines will be established for various ammunition types, including 7.62x51mm ball cartridges, 7.62x51mm blank cartridges, 9x19mm pistol cartridges, and machine gun ammunition.
Additionally, manufacturing workshops and facilities will be set up in Kaduna and Kachia, Kaduna State, to produce essential defence components such as brass casings and bullet jackets.
The partnership extends beyond production, encompassing the maintenance and upgrading of existing military hardware, servicing of battle tanks, and the provision of military engineering services.
These efforts are expected to enhance the operational readiness of the Nigerian Armed Forces, enabling them to respond more effectively to security threats within the country and across the region.
The minister’s visit to China follows a series of engagements with international partners, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, as part of Nigeria’s broader strategy to strengthen bilateral defence ties.
In a recent meeting with the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dr. Matawalle called for increased support in intelligence sharing and counterterrorism efforts, underscoring the need for global cooperation to tackle insecurity.
The agreement with the Chinese firm has been hailed as a critical step towards achieving President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises security, economic development, and private-sector involvement.
The minister reiterated the government’s openness to foreign investment in critical sectors such as defence, steel, and energy to drive technological advancement and job creation.
Gamblers are staking millions of dollars to predict who will emerge as new pope as betting sites place odds on the candidates as the Catholic Church cardinals sweat to pick a new pontiff.
Polymarket, an American cryptocurrency-based betting site, has placed odds on candidates who will emerge.
Similarly, Kalshi, another American betting site, is coordinating predictions on who emerges as the new Catholic pope.
On Polymarket, over $21 million worth of bets have been staked in the conclave election, in which Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle are considered the leading candidates.
Mr Parolin leads with 27 per cent odds, while Mr Tagle comes second with 23 per cent odds. Matteo Zuppi, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Peter Erdo came third, fourth and fifth with 11, 10 and 7 per cent odds, respectively.
On Kalshi, where over $8milliom has been staked, Mr Parolin leads with 29 per cent odds, followed by Mr Tagle’s 22 per cent odds and Mr Pizzaballa’s 10 per cent odds.
This comes as 133 cardinals from across the globe commenced a conclave to decide who would emerge as the new pope on Thursday.
Though conclave elections have been highly unpredictable for years, gamblers throw in thousands of dollars for a possible kill should their candidate emerge.
In 2013, contrary to projections on the possible emergence of Cardinal Angelo Scola, who was then regarded as the favourite, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio emerged as Pope Francis.
On Wednesday, thick black smoke billows from the Sistine Chapel chimney at the end of the first meeting of the cardinals, signalling that no pope has been elected.
The election of the 267th pope, which commenced on Wednesday. A new pope will poll a two-thirds majority to emerge during the election process.
Then, white smoke will be released from the Sistine Chapel chimney.
President Bola Tinubu has mandated the formation of a Presidential Task Force aimed at eliminating numerous checkpoints that impede free movement.
Ambassador Musa Nuhu, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, revealed this initiative during a visit to the Nigeria-Benin Republic border in Seme on Wednesday.
“We are commencing with the Seme-Badagry Corridor. A committee has been established under the auspices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and we will soon begin addressing this matter.
“We have taken note of all the concerns raised, and I assure you that the Nigerian government will tackle the other issues mentioned subsequently.”
Numerous complaints have surfaced regarding the excessive checkpoints along the Badagry-Seme corridor, which adversely affect the seamless movement of individuals and goods between Nigeria and the Benin Republic.
Ambassador Nuhu emphasized, “This is the most trafficked border in West Africa regarding the flow of goods, people, and services. If free movement is to be effectively implemented in West Africa, it will be evident at this border.”
Motorists attending the meeting expressed their frustrations about the numerous checkpoints and the extortion practices by security personnel along the route.
In response, Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, stated that any fees paid by motorists should be accompanied by official receipts.
He expressed concern that the proliferation of checkpoints and the extortion of citizens within member states undermine ECOWAS’s goal of fostering a more integrated region.
“While we must inspect passengers and road users, we should move beyond arbitrary charges that lack receipts. If payments are necessary, they should be properly documented.
“It is one thing to request that someone open their bags for inspection, but it is entirely different to demand payment that is not receipted.”