The Association of Indigenous Contractors of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has accused FCT Minister Nyesom Wike of deploying heavily armed security operatives to intimidate and suppress its members protesting over alleged unpaid contract sums totaling more than N5.2 billion.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Benson Ehuwa, the association said it was “shocked and deeply displeased” by what it described as the minister’s use of “strong-arm tactics, intimidation and arm-twisting” instead of addressing the contractors’ demands for payment.
According to the group, its leaders arrived at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) office complex as early as 7 a.m. on Wednesday for a meeting allegedly arranged by the minister’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Mohammed Iya. However, they were reportedly met by several Hilux vehicles carrying heavily armed security personnel who blocked the main entrance to the complex.
The association alleged that the operatives barred its leaders from accessing the premises, claiming they were acting on “orders from above.” When contacted, the CSO reportedly told the contractors that the minister had sent him on an errand to Port Harcourt.
Members of the association have been protesting at the FCTA gate since Tuesday, December 9, over the non-payment for contracts they said were lawfully awarded, executed, inspected and certified as completed by Secretariats, Departments and Agencies of the FCTA.
The contractors claimed the security deployment was aimed at stopping their peaceful protest, despite earlier assurances from the CSO, who had allegedly reached out to the group and promised engagement with the FCTA if the protest was suspended. Acting on what they described as an “olive branch,” the association said it was asked to nominate five representatives for talks, with the final meeting scheduled for 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
“At exactly 7 a.m., our leaders converged at the FCTA main gate but were shocked to see armed security operatives preventing them from entering and physically stopping our members from protesting,” the statement said.
The association further alleged that some of its members were threatened, shoved, verbally abused and intimidated by security personnel, adding that violence was narrowly avoided. It cited Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly, insisting that its protest was lawful.
The group said efforts to recover the unpaid funds over the past two years had been unsuccessful, despite writing multiple letters to the minister, securing a National Assembly public hearing allegedly boycotted by the FCTA, and undergoing a three-month investigation by the Department of State Services.
It also claimed that an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, interventions by influential Nigerians and several protests had failed to resolve the issue.
According to the association, many members borrowed from banks to execute the contracts and have since lost homes, withdrawn their children from school or been evicted from rented apartments due to the unpaid debts. The group further alleged that at least 10 members had died from high blood pressure linked to financial hardship.
“Most of our members are living in penury simply for helping to transform the infrastructure of the nation’s capital,” the statement said, adding that FCTA officials continue to benefit from facilities delivered under the disputed contracts.
The association called on Nigerians, religious leaders and civil society groups to condemn what it described as injustice by the FCT minister, insisting that “a labourer deserves his wages.”
