Abuja poultry owner laments as govt destroys ₦150m investment

Akomolafe Henrich Bankole, who goes by the username @henrich_banks on X, has lamented the demolition of his ₦150 million poultry farm in Lokogoma, Abuja.

In a series of posts on his X on Sunday, September 8, 2024, Bankole shared videos of the poultry's remains, claiming that over 5,000 birds have died and 50 workers lost their jobs as a result of the destruction.

In one of the videos, he accused officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) of carrying out the demolition, which he said was done without prior notice or warning.

“I am heartbroken and angry. Yesterday, my N150 million investment in a poultry farm located in Lokogoma, Abuja, was destroyed by the guys from the Federal Capital Development Authority.

“No warning, no prior notice, just pure destruction, and over 5,000 birds are dead,” he wrote sharing the videos.

The poultry owner disclosed that he obtained all the necessary papers, including the Certificate of Occupancy before establishing the farm, making the demolition a shocking and unjust act.

Bankole, who ran for the House of Representatives in Ekiti under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, questioned the government’s actions, asking why he couldn’t farm on his private property.

“How can this happen in a country where I followed every legal process? Let it be clear that all papers, including the (C of O), were obtained and yet, some individuals in this government felt it was okay to destroy what I’ve worked for—an investment of a lifetime.

“This isn’t just my loss – over 50 workers are now thrown out of jobs and businesses! In these hard times, families will now suffer because of the evil of some individuals operating under the guise of FCDA.

“Tell me why I can’t farm on my private property. Why? Why?” he stated.

While expressing his frustrations, Bankole wondered how the government expects citizens to invest when the same fate could befall anyone without consequences.

“I ask—where does the government expect me to start from? Why should I ever think of investing in Nigeria again when this can happen overnight? This is how people fall into depression. But for God, I don’t know how I and my family would even be standing right now.

“I hope FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is seeing the damage being done under his administration. I hope Madam First Lady, who asked us to start farming, can see the rubbish going on. I hope no one will accuse me of treason when I carry placards because this is treason against me,” he added.