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Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has accused Landmark Africa of “land grabbing” alongside the Lagos beachfront and threatened criminal motion towards its Leader Govt Officer, Paul Onwuanibe, over claims concerning the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Freeway’s affect at the trade.
Umahi made the remarks right through an interview on Get up Information on Friday morning, October 23, 2026.
The minister disputed Onwuanibe’s account of the losses Landmark incurred after the Federal Govt demolished buildings throughout the freeway’s proper of manner, insisting that the federal government had taken steps to give protection to the corporate’s major amenities.
Umahi Demanding situations Landmark’s Land Possession
Umahi challenged Onwuanibe to make public the corporate’s Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) and different paperwork setting up its criminal name to the affected land.
- “He used to be land grabbing,” Umahi stated, relating to Landmark’s profession of parts of the beachfront suffering from the undertaking.
- “Let him post his C of O,” the minister added.
Umahi maintained that the Federal Govt had adjusted the freeway’s course round Landmark’s everlasting buildings to steer clear of destroying its major amenities.
- “We stored his everlasting construction,” he stated, arguing that the demolished buildings consisted in large part of “shanties” alongside the beachfront quite than the corporate’s major building.
The minister’s feedback adopted claims by means of Onwuanibe concerning the affect of the freeway undertaking on Landmark’s trade and the losses because of the demolition.
Umahi Questions Landmark’s Reported Losses
Umahi additionally challenged the figures related to Landmark’s monetary losses, pointing to what he described as inconsistencies between the corporate’s reported funding price and the volume it stated it had misplaced.
He stated Onwuanibe had in the past referred to investments value about $250 million however had extra not too long ago cited losses of roughly N42 billion following the demolition.
- The minister puzzled the foundation of the figures and rejected the recommendation that the federal government had arbitrarily destroyed a valid funding with out regard for possession or repayment rights.
- Umahi stated smaller companies and different affected occupants deemed eligible for repayment have been known and paid.
- He maintained that the affected folks had been enumerated and that bills had been made without delay into their financial institution accounts.
The minister described the repayment procedure as clear and stated the federal government had taken steps to deal with claims from eligible occupants.
Umahi additionally warned that he may just pursue criminal motion if Onwuanibe persevered making statements he regarded as deceptive.
- “If he doesn’t chorus from deceptive the general public, I would possibly take him to courtroom,” he stated.
What you will have to know
The confrontation over Landmark Africa’s beachfront property and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Freeway dates again to Would possibly 2024, when Umahi stated the corporate had no declare to the 250-metre coastline forming a part of the undertaking’s proper of manner.
On the time, the minister accused the valuables homeowners of enjoying politics and interesting to public sentiment over the demolition.
Umahi maintained that the federal government had made efforts to spare Landmark’s infrastructure and that the core of the power have been preserved.
- “No declare for Landmark. He has no declare. We spared all his infrastructure; we don’t pay for shanties. The shanties are on our Proper-of-Manner which is 250 meters from the coastline. So, he has no declare,” he stated in Would possibly 2024.
- He added that the federal government had made efforts to give protection to the corporate’s major amenities, pronouncing, “We made all of the efforts to spare all his infrastructure and this is the reason I say he’s a political candidate whilst I’m an engineer. I don’t know the eye he is looking for.”
Onwuanibe had known as at the Federal Govt to reroute the coastal freeway, caution that demolishing the valuables would result in the closure of greater than 80 companies running throughout the hotel.
He additionally estimated that the advance may just outcome within the lack of about 12,000 direct and oblique jobs.
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