A Nigerian returnee has threatened to dump his Nigerian passport and relocate permanently to the United Kingdom after FCT authorities demolished his Abuja enterprise, wiping out a £75,000 UK bank loan used to fund the venture.
Charles Avwenagha, who established Stopover Bar and Grill in Lokogoma 15 months ago, watched his establishment flattened by Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) bulldozers on Tuesday, despite attempts to evacuate his property following unconfirmed local rumours.
“As I’m talking to you now, I’m actually thinking of counting my losses, packing my load and going back and tearing the Nigerian passport. I have friends in the UK that have done it. I’m thinking of that as I speak,” Avwenagha said.
Speaking on the rubble of his venue in a video report by Per Second News, Avwenagha explained that he received no official notification from FCT authorities. After hearing rumours a week prior that the land was being reclaimed, he voluntarily closed on Sunday to begin dismantling structures.
By Tuesday afternoon, as tradesmen worked on site to dismantle fittings, FCTA heavy machinery arrived and levelled the premises.
“Around 12-1 in the afternoon, bulldozers just came. They saw people on the roof, taking out roof, taking out wood, welders working. They told them to come down and bulldoze the whole place to the ground,” he said.
“I came with money from the UK to invest here. So I have to deal with that loan now. 84 staff. That’s what I was feeding here. It’s painful. I stood there and I watched it go. Nobody cares,” he added.
The venue’s manager, Muktar Yahaya, along with staff members including Eze Chidimma, confirmed that workers were actively moving equipment off-site when demolition teams drove them away.
Avwenagha questioned the wisdom of encouraging diaspora investment, noting that neighbouring venues, including Barbados, Amalashita, RM’s Gym, Hunter’s, and Ari’s, suffered identical fates, leaving hundreds unemployed in Lokogoma.
“Are you telling me now to convince anybody to come from diaspora to invest in this country? Look at 84 people. In this place alone, I’m not exaggerating, at least 300 people have been jobless. Are you people saying they are creating jobs? Is this how you create jobs?” he asked.
The destruction forms part of a broader clearance campaign across the Federal Capital Territory targeting structures built on unapproved sites. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has consistently defended the enforcement, framing it as a necessary measure to uphold Abuja’s original urban master plan and protect public safety.
Despite the Senate requesting the Federal Capital Development Authority in December 2024 to suspend all demolitions not mandated by a court order following widespread outcry, Wike has refused to back down, dismissing critics as land grabbers attempting blackmail.