Group Frowns At Demolition Of Margaret Lawrence University’s Cancer Center

A civil society group under the aegis of Centre For Human Rights And Advocacy In Africa Network, has condemned the demolition of the Margaret Lawrence University Teaching Hospital (MLUTH) Cancer Center by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

The construction of the world-class University Teaching Hospital started a year ago, situated inside the high-brow River Park Estate Abuja, with a multi- billion naira massive construction work on-going at the project site.

However, on Saturday, September 13, 2025, bulldozers of the FCTA rolled into the River Park Estate, and pulled down the gigantic University Teaching Hospital structure into rubbles.

In a statement on Sunday, signed by its Executive Director, Mr Henry Abba, and Director of Programmes, Michael Ikwebe, the group described the demolition as unacceptable” and therefore condemned the action of the FCT Administration noting that information at its disposal wasn’t justifiable enough by the FCTA for its action.

The Civil Society Organization expressed shock and disbelief that demolition of this magnitude could take place in contemporary Nigeria.

“The whole incident has brought about panic in the estate, and at this point, nobody knows what is going on, because what was said in the report of the FCT Minister was that all undeveloped portion is what they want to re-possess.’

“But what we have in this instance is a project that has been commissioned for over a year and has been actively under development for the past one year.

The Executive Director Mr Abba, said that the action of the FCTA was highly condemnable, unacceptable and could best be described as one demolition done in bad fate hence called on the FCT, Minister Nyelsom Wike to wade into tge matter as fast as possible to address the situation.

According to the group, it’s legally and morally wrong for the team to come into an estate to demolish a University Teaching Hospital Cancer Center, without prior notice, and on a Saturday.

“Saturday’s exercise came on the heels of 35 structures that have been demolished in the last 3 days within the estate on the directive of the Ministerial Taskforce set up by the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike.

“We strongly condemn the continued demolition of structures in River Park Estate Abuja by the FCTA, under the watch of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.When has a project under construction become an undeveloped space in the estate, the group querried.”

“We hereby appeal to the FCT Minister to call the “Ministerial Committee” to order because they are going outside the report approved by the Minister.

PR/Garry Ochigbo