A yet-to-be-confirmed number of workers are feared dead following the collapse of a building at Nicholas Ukachukwu’s Praco Limited Estate, located in Guzape, Abuja, on Friday.
A source in the vicinity informed Press that the ongoing rescue operations have been severely hindered by heavy rainfall.
The source stated, “A building collapse has occurred at Nicholas Ukachukwu’s Praco Ltd Estate in Plot 458, Guzape, Abuja. Workers are feared dead, and the ongoing rainfall is hindering rescue efforts.”
Providing background information, the source recalled that “Plot 458 Guzape is one of the 111 plots in Abuja that were illegally acquired by Nicholas Ukachukwu, an Anambra businessman.
His company, Praco Limited, is accused of colluding with civil servants in the FCDA to allocate more than 100 plots of land, covering thousands of hectares, to his company. This is considered one of Abuja’s largest land heists.”
The source added, “These lands were acquired without ministerial approval in July 2023, during a period when there was no minister to authorize the land allocation. When the new Minister, Wike, assumed office and received complaints from some of the original allottees of the land, he ordered the revocation of the illegally acquired plots.”
“Construction work was halted, and demolition was carried out on one plot in the Sunrise area where Praco had begun construction. At that time, Nicholas Ukachukwu accused the minister of ordering the demolition because he is an Igbo man.”
“This assertion was quickly debunked as blackmail by a man with a notorious reputation for dubious land deals and racketeering in Abuja.”
“Several of the individuals whose lands were revoked and awarded to Nicholas Ukachukwu are currently in court. Unfortunately, Ukachukwu continues to use his financial resources to obstruct the court cases and bribe FCDA officials, who have turned a blind eye to his illegal construction on the plots revoked by the FCT Minister. Sources indicated that the FCT Minister is frustrated by the antics and collusion of civil servants in the FCT in this scandal.”
Earlier in April, Ukachukwu, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the SNECOU Group Limited, accused the FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, of ordering the demolition of his investment on 214 hectares of land in the Asokoro district of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
