Wike Orders Arrest Over Illegal Embassy Land Construction

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has ordered the arrest of Alhaji Kabiru Sahara for illegally constructing buildings on land designated for foreign embassies in Abuja's Katampe Extension. This land was originally allocated on March 18, 2008, for diplomatic purposes, and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) discovered that individuals were unlawfully taking over these lands to erect structures without approval.

Wike emphasized that such land invasions cannot be tolerated as they disrupt plots allocated to various diplomatic missions, including those from Thailand, Bulgaria, Syria, Somalia, Serbia, Montenegro, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Senegal, and Palestine. The FCDA has begun notifying the missions regarding the illegal occupation.

Wike confirmed that the police will carry out investigations, and the suspect will be charged in court. The project was being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and Levant Construction, with completion expected by the third anniversary of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's office.