Dave Umahi, minister of works on Sunday asked security to remove a woman from a stakeholders meeting concerning the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
At the event, the woman who claimed to have campaigned for President Bola Tinubu, disclosed that the project had been diverted into her estate, resulting in the demolition of her properties despite her government-issued documents.
Umahi ordered the woman who identified herself as a patron of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation after she questioned the Lagos-Calabar coastal road project’s impact on her property.
According to a video posted by Channels TV, the incident occurred during a public engagement in Victoria Island, Lagos, where Umahi met with stakeholders and homeowners affected by the project.
Umahi accused her of inciting protests to disrupt the project, which she denied.
“You have been doing a lot to stop the project. Listen to me, if I get further disturbances from you, there will be consequences for it.
“We are following the law. You are free to go to court if we are infringing on your rights,” Umahi warned.
When she continued to speak after the microphone was taken away, the minister ordered: “Security, move her out.”
The woman retorted, “I’m a matron in Tinubu campaign organisation that has over 5,000 members.”
Umahi later explained that his own properties had also been demolished for infrastructure projects, saying, “While the case is going on, we plead for your cooperation so that whatever the court says, we will obey. But please, let nobody take laws into his or her hands.”
The Lagos-Calabar highway, a project estimated at N15 trillion, has drawn public criticism over its timing, but Umahi insisted it is in Nigerians’ best interests.
He clarified that the shoreline legally belongs to the Federal Government, stating, “The beachside is not your land, the beachside belongs to the Federal Government.”
