I’d rather die than beg Wike or Tinubu over my late husband’s Abuja land – Rita Lori Ogbebor

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

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Mrs. Ogbebor addressed a demolition notice issued to the residents and management of Paullosa Nigeria Limited, an estate management company owned by her late husband. She accused Wike of attempting to seize the land, despite the fact that her husband had contributed significantly to the development of Abuja over four decades ago.

Mrs. Ogbebor pointed out that, at the time when her husband was working on the land, Wike was only 14 years old. Now, 42 years later, the FCT Minister intends to demolish the property and allocate it to someone named Chinda.

She emphasized that while others may appeal to the President on her behalf, she would never personally approach Tinubu or Wike over the issue. “I am not saying the President should know me, but those around him who offer advice should be familiar with people like us who have contributed to this country’s progress. When issues like this arise, they should intervene, and if necessary, take it to the President,” she stated.

Mrs. Ogbebor also shared her frustration about the situation, saying, “My husband was one of those who helped build Abuja. He was given a piece of land to develop as an engineer and brought people from across the world to work with him. Now, after 42 years, they want to demolish it and give it to Chinda? Who is Chinda? If you look at Chinda’s age, he was only 14 when we started. And Wike was the same age. Is it not insulting to me at 84 to go to the President and say, ‘Mr. President, someone is demolishing my house?’ No, I would rather die.”

Naija News reports that the land dispute, along with others, has drawn nationwide attention, leading the Senate to instruct Wike on Thursday to halt further demolitions until the matter is fully investigated. However, Wike has vowed to continue the demolition exercise, citing the prevalence of land grabbers in Abuja.