UK RETURNEE THREATENS TO LEAVE NIGERIA AFTER FCTA DEMOLISHES £75,000 ABUJA BUSINESS
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By; Sunmola Ganiyat
A Nigerian returnee investor, Charles Avwenagha, has expressed frustration over the demolition of his business premises in Abuja, saying he is considering relocating permanently to the United Kingdom and renouncing his Nigerian passport.
Avwenagha alleged that his business, Stopover Bar and Grill in Lokogoma, was demolished by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Tuesday without any formal notice.
Speaking in an interview at the demolished site, he said he financed the business with a £75,000 loan obtained in the United Kingdom after deciding to return home and invest in Nigeria.
According to him, he only became aware of possible demolition plans through rumours circulating about a week earlier, insisting that no official notification was served on him before the exercise.
He explained that he voluntarily shut down the business on Sunday and began removing equipment, but while workers were dismantling parts of the structure on Tuesday, bulldozers arrived and levelled the entire premises.
Avwenagha said the business, which had operated for just over a year, provided employment for 84 workers, adding that its demolition had left him struggling to repay the overseas loan used to establish it.
He questioned efforts to encourage Nigerians in the diaspora to invest in the country, arguing that the demolition had not only destroyed his investment but also rendered hundreds of people jobless in the Lokogoma area.
The manager of Stopover Bar and Grill, Muktar Yahaya, supported his account, saying employees were still removing property from the premises when demolition officials arrived and ordered them to vacate the site.
Another staff member, Eze Chidimma, also lamented the loss of her job following the demolition.
The FCTA has carried out several demolition exercises across Abuja in recent months, maintaining that the affected structures were illegally erected on government land.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has repeatedly defended the demolitions, saying they are necessary to restore Abuja’s master plan, protect lives and property, and remove illegal developments.
Despite criticism from affected residents, lawmakers and civil society groups, Wike has insisted that the demolition campaign will continue, maintaining that the administration remains committed to reclaiming government land and enforcing planning regulations.
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