FG to probe alleged land scam along Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

By Chukwuma Umeorah and Ifeoma Nwajei

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged the Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abdulganiyu Adeyemi, to open a full investigation into alleged land scams along the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.

He made this call in Lagos, yesterday during a visit to the coastal road as part of the ministry’s inspection of ongoing federal projects in the South West.

Umahi stated that the Presidency had mandated the Office of the Surveyor-General to work with state governors and the ministry to acquire lands along the project sites for overriding public interest, economic benefits, and return on investments.

The directive follows accusations in 2024 by property developer Stella Okengwu, Chairman of Winhomes Global Services, who alleged that her multi-million-dollar investments along the corridor were demolished without adequate compensation. She further claimed that officials of the Ministry of Works demanded bribes to prevent the demolition of her property, and that the original gazetted alignment of the coastal highway was compromised after some developers allegedly bribed for approvals to adjust the route.

According to her, investors, including those in the diaspora, have suffered huge losses. “The government paid N25 to N30 million for properties that cost over N150 million to prepare with drainage, sand filling and services. One family that invested over N300 million was paid N20-something million. This is not compensation,” she said.

Umahi dismissed insinuations that the Federal Government was liable for such claims, insisting that many of the transactions may not have been legitimate. “Let her publish the layout of what she bought and publish those who paid. I believe there is a scam there.”

The minister also provided updates on progress along Sections 1 and 2 of the project, stressing that there was no damage to completed works despite ongoing sandfilling and heavy rainfall. He noted that rainwater had even aided soil consolidation, while only 2.5 kilometres of challenging stormwater areas were still under construction.

Umahi commended Hitech Construction Company for its pace of work on section 2, revealing that over 12 kilometres of concrete pavement had been completed and concreting was set to extend to chainage 89 in the coming week. He disclosed that additional equipment had been deployed to sustain the effort, adding: “With the kind of mobilization and equipment you see here, Hitech is capable of doing one kilometre of the coastal highway per day. We are not afraid about the timing.”

Reiterating his call for transparency, Umahi directed the State Controller of Works, Olukorede Keisha, to collaborate with the media in providing Nigerians with weekly updates on the project. “I directed the last time that the controller should select two television houses every week, and we pay for it, just to see the operation for the benefit of our own engineers and for the benefit of Nigeria.

“When we have done all this work, and covered it with pavement, nobody will understand what has happened. So it is very important that you organize yourselves and give us a timetable, maybe one TV and then one newspaper also, so that you Nigerians will be able to track the operation.”