I’d Rather Die Than Beg Tinubu Or Wike Over Abuja Land Dispute – Rita Lori Ogbebor

The widow of the late Colonel Paul Ogbebor, Mrs. Rita Lori Ogbebor, has declared that she would rather die than plead with President Bola Tinubu or the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to intervene in an ongoing land dispute in Abuja.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mrs. Ogbebor condemned a demolition notice served to the residents and management of Paullosa Nigeria Limited, an estate management firm owned by her late husband. She accused Wike of attempting to seize the land, despite her husband’s significant contributions to Abuja’s development over 40 years ago.

She highlighted that while her husband was working on the property, Wike was only 14 years old. Now, decades later, the FCT Minister plans to demolish the property and allocate it to an individual identified as Chinda.

Mrs. Ogbebor stated emphatically that she would not personally approach Tinubu or Wike to intervene, even though she believes the matter deserves their attention. “I’m not saying the President should know me, but those advising him should be aware of people like us who contributed to the progress of this country. When issues like this arise, they should step in and, if necessary, involve the President,” she said.

Expressing her frustration, she added, “My husband was instrumental in building Abuja. He was given this land as an engineer to develop, and he brought experts from around the world to work with him. Now, after 42 years, they want to demolish it and give it to Chinda? Who is Chinda? At 84, should I go begging the President about this? No, I would rather die.”

The ongoing land dispute has sparked widespread attention. On Thursday, the Senate directed Wike to suspend all demolitions in Abuja pending a thorough investigation. However, Wike remains adamant, stating that the demolition exercise will continue to address widespread land grabbing in the FCT.