Rights Group Condemns Demolition of Margaret Lawrence University Teaching Hospital in Abuja

The Centre for Human Rights and Advocacy in Africa Network has condemned the demolition of the Margaret Lawrence University Teaching Hospital (MLUTH) by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The hospital, located within the upscale River Park Estate in Abuja, was pulled down on Saturday, sparking outrage among residents and stakeholders.

In a joint statement signed by its Executive Director, Henry Abba, and Director of Programmes, Michael Ikwebe, the group described the demolition as “high-handed, insensitive, barbaric and unacceptable.”

The organisation alleged that the FCTA gave no reason for the action, stressing that the project had been actively under development for over a year.
“We learnt on good authority that without any prior notice, the FCTA came in and demolished the structure. In fact, they took the whole day to even do what they were doing there,” the statement read.

Concerns over FCTA policy
The group questioned the rationale behind the demolition, noting that the FCT Minister had earlier stated that only undeveloped portions of the estate would be repossessed.
“What we have in this instance is a project that has been commissioned for over a year and has been actively under development. When has a project under construction become an undeveloped space in the estate?” the group queried.

It further alleged that the demolition exercise was part of a broader policy to claim land within River Park Estate under the guise of urban development.
“Saturday’s exercise came on the heels of 35 structures that have been demolished in the last three days within the estate on the directive of the Ministerial Taskforce set up by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike,” the group noted.

Call for intervention
The Centre urged Minister Wike to call the taskforce to order, accusing it of acting outside the scope of the minister’s approved directives.
“It is legally and morally wrong for the FCTA to come into an estate to demolish a University Teaching Hospital Cancer Center, without prior notice, and on a Saturday,” it said.

The group concluded by warning that the demolitions were creating panic among residents and appealed for a halt to what it described as “land grabbing disguised as urban development.”