Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, recently emphasized that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, does not have the authority to order demolitions of houses in Abuja without first getting a court order.
In a video shared by Channels TV from 28:34, Falana brought up past incidents in places like Zaki Biam, Odi, and Gbaramotu, where buildings were destroyed by government troops in response to offenses committed by youths in the communities. He said the Federal High Court ordered the federal government to pay a total of 168 billion naira as compensation to the affected communities, and a portion of this has already been paid. He emphasized that the authorities need to respect legal procedures to avoid these outcomes.
In Falana’s words: “In the case of Zaki Biam, Odi, Gbaramotu where troops went to destroy houses because some youths had committed some offences; altogether the Federal High Court Awarded 168 billion naira against the federal government. Part of the money has been paid”