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UPDATE: Wike Condemns Military Takeover Of Abuja Land, Orders Halt To Illegal Development

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….Says Former Naval Chief Behind Encroachment, Vows to Resist Intimidation

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Nyesom Wike, has condemned the alleged illegal takeover of a disputed land in Abuja by military personnel reportedly acting on the orders of a former Chief of Naval Staff, describing the act as lawless and unacceptable.

Wike, who personally visited the site on Tuesday after receiving reports that soldiers had driven away FCTA officials enforcing development control directives, said no individual no matter their former position would be allowed to intimidate government authorities or obstruct enforcement of the law.

“You are aware that the land departments and the Development Control have the mandate to monitor illegal development and land grabbing,” the minister said.

“When this was brought to my attention, I instructed them to ensure that nothing takes place there, as there were no legal documents—no regional approval, no valid acquisition.”

According to Wike, while officials of the Department of Development Control were on site to implement his directive, they were chased away by armed soldiers allegedly acting under the instruction of a retired senior officer.

“I was informed that the soldiers of the military had to chase them away, and I thought they were acting illegally,” Wike said. “Today, while I was in the office, I was called again that the military had taken over the place. I had to come myself to see things. It’s really unfortunate.

”He expressed shock that a person who once held a top military position could resort to such intimidation rather than follow due process.

“I don’t understand how somebody who attained that position cannot approach my office to say, ‘Look, this is what is going on.’ But simply because he’s a military man, he thinks he can use that to intimidate Nigerians. I am not one of those that will succumb to blackmail or intimidation,” the minister said firmly.

Wike also disclosed that when the FCTA officials demanded documents to justify the occupation, none were produced.

“The Director of Development Control said, ‘Bring the documents’ they don’t have them. ‘Bring approval for building’ they don’t have it. How can we continue to allow lawlessness to prevail? What about those who don’t have the military behind them? What about ordinary Nigerians?

”The minister maintained that the FCT Administration would not tolerate the misuse of military power to obstruct legitimate urban regulation, stressing that the rule of law must apply to all.

“I have spoken to the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chief of Naval Staff. They assured me that the matter will be resolved. We’re not here to have a shootout with anybody or cause chaos,” Wike said.

“But I will not allow this to happen. The same way we enforce our laws in other areas is the same way it will be done here. Nobody whether a former Chief of Naval Staff or anyone else will be allowed to carry out illegal development on government land.

”Wike reaffirmed his commitment to restoring order and accountability in Abuja’s land administration, warning that the FCTA would continue to reclaim encroached areas, no matter how powerful those involved may be.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Departs Paris for Nigeria After Extended Vacation

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President Bola Tinubu has ended his working vacation in Europe and departed Paris for Nigeria on Tuesday, with his aircraft expected to land at Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos later in the evening.

The announcement was made by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Tinubu left Abuja on August 30 for what was initially billed as a three-week working vacation.

He spent one week in London before proceeding to Paris. The trip was later extended, bringing his total time abroad to about 30 days.

The President chose to return through Lagos rather than Abuja to honour the memory of the late Chief MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

On Independence Day, October 1, he is scheduled to attend the premiere of a movie celebrating Abiola at the Wole Soyinka National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.

While in Lagos, Tinubu will hold strategic meetings with political leaders and associates over several days as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify. He is expected to return to Abuja after those engagements.

During his stay in Paris, the President attended a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron and held meetings with business leaders, including Vincent Bolloré of the Bolloré Group.

He also met with First Holdings Chairman Femi Otedola and witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a deep seaport and Blue Marine Economic Zone.

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National Assembly Plans to Translate Laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba

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The National Assembly plans to translate Nigerian laws into Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba and other indigenous languages as part of a broader effort to digitise parliamentary records and make legislation more accessible to citizens.

Henry Nwawuba, Executive Secretary of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, announced the initiative on Monday in Abuja while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Library Week. The event was themed “Parliamentary Memory: Connecting Records, Legislation and the People.”

Nwawuba said the translation would help more Nigerians, especially those not proficient in English, understand the laws that affect their daily lives. He described the library as the knowledge infrastructure of the legislature and a repository of its institutional memory.

The move forms part of a digital overhaul that includes upgrading the e-library, creating electronic repositories, developing a National Assembly Library mobile application, and introducing a Bills Tracker to allow the public to monitor the progress of proposed laws in real time.

The library will also produce infographics, audiovisual materials and short video explainers to simplify bills, Acts and legislative procedures. Officials said the upgrades would help curb the spread of fake or unverified legislative documents online.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Osita Ngwu, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, represented by Professor Julius Ihonvbere, both stressed the need for lawmakers to use the digital tools while prioritising cybersecurity.

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BREAKING: Court Order Threatens Dangote Kenya Refinery Launch

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A Kenyan court order requiring parties to maintain the status quo on disputed land has cast uncertainty over the planned groundbreaking of Aliko Dangote’s multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in Lamu, scheduled for Wednesday, September 30.

The Malindi Environment and Land Court, in an order dated September 25 and made public this week, directed that the existing situation on Land Reference No. 13061 in the Hindi/Manda Magogoni area be preserved until a hearing on October 14. The order followed a petition by 133 residents of Chandavai in Lamu County, who claim the land is ancestral property their families have occupied, farmed and developed for generations. They allege inadequate recognition, compensation and resettlement in the acquisition process.

Judge Jane Onyango declined to certify the application as fully urgent in a way that would explicitly cancel the ceremony and refused a separate request to restrain the Office of the President, Dangote Industries, the Lamu County Government and other respondents from proceeding with the groundbreaking. However, the status quo directive bars clearing, excavation, fencing, demolition, construction or other interference with occupied portions of the land in the interim.

Dangote Group said the ruling has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony itself. “The court has not halted the groundbreaking ceremony of the refinery at this stage. However, activities at the site may be affected by the ruling as both parties are required not to carry activities until the case is heard on 14th October,” the company stated.

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi confirmed the ceremony would proceed as planned. Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, downplayed the development while speaking to investors in Nairobi, describing such legal challenges as “normal for us in Africa” and comparing it to past disputes elsewhere on the continent. He insisted the project would continue.

The proposed facility is a 700,000-barrel-per-day greenfield oil refinery and petrochemical complex estimated to cost $15–16 billion (roughly Ksh2 trillion). It is intended to process crude from Kenya’s Lokichar fields and other East African sources, reduce the region’s heavy reliance on imported fuels, create jobs and support industrialisation. President William Ruto is expected to attend the ceremony alongside Dangote. Heavy equipment has already begun arriving at the Port of Lamu.

The case returns to court on October 14, when respondents will have the opportunity to file responses and the matter will be heard inter partes. Until then, the legal constraint on site activities remains in force even as organisers press ahead with the ceremonial launch.

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