- Petitions Tinubu, NSA, DSS, others
Leaders and indigenes of Nkpolu-Oroworukwo community in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, have petitioned President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is using armed police operatives to forcibly take over their ancestral land at the Mgbuikhe “New Town” Luxury Estate Layout.
In the petition dated December 1, 2025, and jointly signed by Community Chairman, Obi Echeonwu; Chairman of the Land Allocation Committee, Barr. Bisi Ejekwu, and the Committee Secretary, Livingstone Wechie, the community urged the President to intervene urgently and protect them from what they described as “violent acquisition attempts” allegedly linked to the FCT Minister.
The petitioners claimed that more than twenty-five armed police personnel invaded the land around 10 a.m. in a “commando-style” operation, arriving with a bulldozer that reportedly forced down the community gate, demolished the gatehouse, and pulled down privately owned structures. They alleged that the operation was supervised by a man identified as Barr. Melchizedek “Dede” Wike, reportedly a Personal Assistant and younger brother to the minister, was seen issuing directives and threatening community representatives.
The community further alleged that a resident, Chijioke Wechie, and a freelance cameraman, Daniel Ihunwo, who was invited to document the incident, were arrested and taken to a police unit the petitioners referred to as a “Special Operations Squad”, located opposite the Minister’s private residence in Port Harcourt. According to the petition, the duo were detained from noon until about 10 p.m., while youths who attempted to secure their release were dispersed with tear gas, with several reportedly assaulted with rifle butts.
According to the community, officers at the station claimed that only the FCT Minister could authorise the detainees’ release, and allegedly disclosed that they were under instructions to arrest community leaders resisting the purported land takeover. The petitioners said there have been unusual security movements within the community since the incident, and that several leaders have received threatening phone calls.
The disputed land, measuring nearly 30,000 square metres, was originally donated in the early 1970s to the former Rivers State College of Arts and Science for the construction of a hostel known as “Hostel K.” Community leaders, however, noted that the building later became derelict and was demolished by the Wike administration between 2021 and 2022. They alleged that attempts to convert the property into a private estate were resisted, leading to repeated police invitations and confrontations.
They also point out that a lawsuit filed by a separate group claiming ownership of the land is still pending before the Rivers State High Court, yet armed security personnel remain stationed on the property while construction activities reportedly continue under police protection. The community insists that maintaining police presence on a disputed property under litigation amounts to “a desecration of the rule of law.”
The petitioners add that some plots within the Mgbuikhe New Town Project had been allocated to serving and retired senior military officers, warning that allowing any political officeholder to take over the land forcibly could spark wider unrest. While stressing that they hold no personal grievances against the Minister, they warned that the situation could degenerate into violence if not urgently addressed.
They appealed to President Tinubu to order the immediate withdrawal of security personnel from the land and caution the FCT Minister.
“We trust that as a listening and caring leader, you will not allow your Minister to waste any member of our community just to feed his perpetual lust for land and property”, the petition added.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the National Security Adviser; the Director-Generals of the DSS and NIA; the Ambassadors of the United States and Spain; the European Union; the United Nations Secretary-General; the Senate President; the Speaker of the House of Representatives; Governor Siminalayi Fubara; the Rivers State House of Assembly; the Nigerian Bar Association; the Chief Justice of Nigeria; the Inspector-General of Police; and the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.
