The Public Complaints Commission (PCC) has halted an ongoing demolition exercise at Winning Clause Estate in Gwarinpa, Abuja, after distraught residents lodged an emergency complaint over alleged violation of due process.
The intervention was confirmed in a statement posted on the Commission’s official Facebook page on Tuesday.
According to the PCC, its FCT Commissioner, Hon. Musa Dikko, arrived at the scene to discover widespread destruction of properties belonging to members of the indigenous Kuchi Bedna community—long-standing occupants of the disputed area predating the establishment of the Federal Capital Territory.
Residents expressed shock and distress, telling PCC officials that neither compensation nor resettlement was offered before bulldozers began pulling down their homes. They also stated that no formal demolition notice had been served.
The environment grew tense as families struggled to recover personal belongings while security personnel—including soldiers, police officers, and NSCDC operatives—surrounded the area to deter resistance.
The PCC further revealed that Hon. Dikko attempted to engage the official supervising the demolition, but the Acting Director of the Development Control Enforcement Unit declined to reveal his full identity and refused to be captured on camera.
When asked to provide a demolition notice or any court order authorizing the operation, the official failed to present any documents. He later claimed the paperwork was “in the office.”
Insisting on transparency, Hon. Dikko ordered that the demolition be suspended until proper legal documentation is verified.
A call placed to the Director of Development Control at the FCTA resulted in immediate instructions to halt the exercise pending clarification of the alleged court order.
The Commission stated that it will follow up with the matter to ensure fairness, justice, and strict adherence to due process.
