EXPOSED: How Criminal Syndicate in FHA Demolished My ₦260 Million Mansion in FESTAC for Refusing to Pay Bribe – Engineer Okwor

Fresh revelations have emerged over the controversial demolition of a multimillion-naira mansion in Lagos allegedly carried out by officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in connivance with a suspected land syndicate.

A Lagos-based civil engineer, Engr. McDonald Okwor, 48, has accused a cartel operating within the FHA of razing his property to the ground at 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, after he refused to pay a ₦260 million bribe allegedly demanded by the group.

According to Okwor, the demolition, executed by over 35 armed policemen and thugs purportedly hired by FHA officials represents the “destruction of years of labor and dreams.”

“They came to my house around noon with bulldozers and caterpillars, backed by armed police officers,” Okwor recounted. “I was told that unless I paid ₦262.2 million as ‘settlement,’ they would demolish my house using FHA authority. When I refused, they made good on the threat.”

The embattled engineer narrated that the ordeal began shortly after he moved into the property earlier in the year.

“A certain lawyer led hoodlums to my site, arrested my workers, and threatened further action unless I settled,” he said. “I petitioned the AIG Zone 2 Police Command, but the suspects ignored police invitations.”

He alleged that during a visit to the FHA office to report the harassment, a senior official shockingly admitted that the syndicate was being “assisted” by the agency to force him into settlement talks.

“The FHA Head of Survey told me they had advised the lawyer and his group to arrest my workers to pressure me into payment,” Okwor said. “They demanded ₦262 million as settlement, a ridiculous figure. I decided to await the court judgment over ownership between FHA and the Kuje family, who sold the land to me.”

Okwor claimed that despite a pending court case and a directive for all parties to maintain the status quo, FHA officials allegedly proceeded with the demolition without a court order.

“The matter is before the Lagos State High Court,” he explained. “There was no court order authorizing any demolition. So, on what legal basis did FHA destroy my property? Are they now above the law?”

According to him, hours before the demolition, residents sighted a brown Infiniti SUV belonging to a “notorious land grabber” parked near the property, shortly before the bulldozers arrived.

Recounting the chaos, Okwor alleged that during the demolition, FHA agents and policemen physically assaulted him and his family, arrested them, and detained them overnight at the Oshodi Task Force Cell.

“They beat my wife, brother, sister, and her husband. They seized our phones, bundled us into a Black Maria, and detained us till the next morning,” he said.

The engineer claimed that after the incident, he tried to safeguard live electrical wires exposed by the demolition, but task force operatives returned with more armed men, accusing him of “rebuilding.”

“They used tear gas and beat us again before forcing me to sign an undertaking never to return to the land,” he added. “Until this cabal within FHA and the Lagos State Task Force is dismantled, FESTAC will never have peace.”

When journalists visited the FHA Lagos Office at 211 Road, FESTAC, an official identified as M.M. Ayuba declined comments, saying:

“We have nothing to tell you. Direct all inquiries to our headquarters in Abuja.”

However, a legal officer who spoke off-record claimed FHA followed due process.

“We pasted demolition notices, but the owner ignored them and instead sent people to remove the notices,” he said.

On the alleged ₦260 million bribe, the official dismissed the claim:

“That’s not true. The only money discussed was between the property owner and the original allottees, who agreed to a financial settlement to avoid further dispute.”

The FESTAC axis has in recent years become notorious for land racketeering, overlapping allocations, and collusion between private syndicates and government insiders. Okwor’s experience adds to growing complaints from property owners who claim to have fallen victim to extortion, harassment, and illegal demolitions allegedly sanctioned under the guise of “official enforcement.”

“This is not just about me,” Okwor insisted. “This is a coordinated land grab, and unless government intervenes decisively, more innocent citizens will lose everything they’ve worked for.”