A Port Harcourt based company, Hyper City Retail Limited, is building a shopping mall on an Abuja plot of land meant for a memorial in honour of construction workers and hawkers killed in a 2008 building collapse on the site, Daily Trust investigations have revealed.

The land, located in Utako District of Abuja, the Federal Capital City, had its original allocation title revoked by then Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Modibbo Umar, to serve as a deterrent to property developers for violating building regulations.

Situated on the road leading to Jabi Motor Park on P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, the plot is numbered 230, Cadastral Zone B05, Utako District.

It is now a beehive of activities as the construction of a sprawling shopping mall has reached an advanced stage.

Investigations revealed that construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is handling the project on behalf of Hyper City Retails Limited, which has a chain of supermarkets in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

A visit to the company’s website showed that Hyper City Retails has four branches in the Rivers State capital.

They are located on Tombia Road, Opposite Polo Club, New GRA; Eastern Bypass Roundabout, Ogbunabali; Ikoku Junction, Olu-Obasanjo Road, Adjacent Ikwerre Road and Slaughter Roundabout, Trans-Amadi Road, Ogingba.

Findings revealed that the company was registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) on May 18, 2022, with registration number 1931320 as a private company limited by shares.

Its known address is Igwuruta Road, Igwuruta, Ikwerre, Rivers State, while its Principal Business Activities include retail trading in general consumer goods, estate management agency and importer of general goods.

The Directors of the company, as indicated in the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) updated status, include Chinda Chika Nwenenda of Old Refinery Road, Elelenwo Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State; and a Lebanese, Roukoz Sarkis Rachid of Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State. The Secretary of the company is Ekpunobi Samuel Chibuzo of Okota Road, Lagos State.

The company’s status listed the shareholders to include Aleed Construction Limited [307460] and has its address as Igwuruta road, Igwuruta, Ikwerre, Rivers state; and Tech Farms and Estates Limited [1826771] of Aba Road, Port-Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Rivers State.

Not much is known about the directors of the company as of the time of writing this report apart from what is listed in the status from CAC, but the company was established during the tenure of Governor Nyesom Wike, who is now the minister of the FCT.

Residents of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital linked Hyper City to a powerful politician from the state but could not provide any evidence.

“The first shopping mall was erected in a space that was housing some shops soon after the owners were relocated,” one of our sources said, and declined further comment.

Another source said within a span of three years, the other three branches were erected.

“Hyper City is one of the popular stores in Port Harcourt and receives visitors all the time. They sell all sort of things that you can find in exotic shops,” he said.

Back in Abuja, some sources said that going by the recent development, the land where the shopping mall is being constructed must have been reallocated to Hyper City after series of revocations over the years.

The Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) is responsible for issuing new certificates for lands allocated in the FCT, and it is said to be under the purview of the lands department.

However, for over one month, efforts to reach the FCT Director of Land Administration, Chijoke Nwankwoeze, to explain how Hyper City got the land yielded no results as he was said to be in the field most of the times.

During one of the visits on Wednesday and Thursday, last week, he was said to be away for official assignment.

A WhatsApp message sent to him asking for details of the plot of land in contention was not responded to at the time of filing the report.

Also, Lere Olayinka, who is the spokesman of the Minister of the FCT, Wike, did not respond to several messages sent to him on the development.

He was said to be attending to official matter when Daily Trust visited his office on Thursday, in addition to several visits before. However, a senior staff of the department of land of the FCT told our reporter that the land was recently reallocated for commercial purpose.

The staff, who craved anonymity, said he could not independently identify the private company that acquired the land.

“What I can tell you is that it has been reallocated for commercial purpose and not for residential. It is now a private property,” the official said, without giving further details.

It would be recalled that on July 29, 2008, a four-storey building under construction on Plot 230 and an adjoining plot collapsed and killed at least six people while dozens of others sustained injuries.

Following the public outcry that trailed the collapse of the building, a development many attributed to poor enforcement of regulatory measures, the then minister of the FCT, Modibbo, ordered an investigation to unravel the circumstances behind the incident.

However, 17 years after the decision to build a memorial in honour of the victims, it was learnt that the plot has been reallocated for a different purpose.

When Daily Trust visited the site yesterday, construction work was ongoing as heavy duty equipment like cranes and mixers were seen. Dozens of masons, bricklayers, labourers, building engineers and supervisors were also seen.

Two construction workers who spoke to Daily Trust stated that the ongoing building was for commercial purposes.

“I am not allowed to talk to journalists but all I know is that this is a shopping mall with maybe a few office spaces. I understand that it is a storey building with many facilities,” one of them said, on condition of anonymity.

Another worker said even though they do not know who owns the building, they always see officials from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) visiting the site for supervision.

“I don’t think any of us can tell you who owns this place because as you can see, there is no signboard to that effect,” the worker said.

Another person seen at the construction site, who claimed to be an engineer, said most of the senior personnel handling the civil, mechanical, electrical and other assignments are being routinely changed.

“It is therefore very difficult for someone to tell you who owns what here…But then, as you can see, it is a serious multi-billion naira project. We may likely know who owns it when it is completed and the business starts,” the engineer said.

Asked whether it is a normal practice to see such a massive project without the relevant signposts to show the details, the engineer said: “We have a lot of such buildings in Abuja that are wrapped in secrecy, especially those belonging to private entities.”

When contacted to know the level of their involvement in the project, including who awarded the contract to the company and at what cost, one of those who speak on behalf of Julius Berger said they got the contract from Hyper City Retail Limited and declined further comment.

Asked if we could get information on the cost of the project, the official said “no comment on that.”

In an interview with the Daily Trust, TPL Umar Shuaibu, who had served as the Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), said he was surprised when he discovered that the building plan of Plot 230 had been changed.

He said: “To my knowledge, there was a building collapse on that piece of land in Utako, in 2008, in which six people lost their lives. At that time, I think a committee was set up.

“Some staff members of the authority (FCT) were suspended, and investigation was carried out, and a report was submitted. The outcome of that report was that first of all, it (the plot) should be revoked from the owner”, he said.

TPL Shuaibu, who started his civil service career as a Town Planning Officer II in the FCDA in 1990, rose to the rank of Assistant Chief Town Planning Officer (ACTPO), before his retirement in 2004.

He confirmed to the Daily Trust that the plot under contention was revoked by the then FCT Minister, Modibbo.

According to him: “It was decided that the plot should be dedicated for a memorial park in honour of those that lost their lives, this is what I know about that issue.

“And subsequently, when I became the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Council, there was a proposal, I think, by a beverage company which I cannot remember now….But I know that the concept at the time that I left office was that the place should be dedicated for a memorial park in honour of those people that lost their lives.

“And from 2008 to 2024, no government took any action to violate that proposal, but subsequently, I saw that place being developed. I don’t know what it is being developed for. But, certainly, what I see there now is not in line with the proposal to dedicate it for a memorial park. That’s what I can say for now,” he said.

On whether in his estimation families of those that died would have no issue with the conversion of the place to a shopping mall instead of a memorial park, TPL Shuaibu said, “You see, life is life. No matter the social standing of the person that lost his life, that life must be respected.

“The identity of the family of those that died there is not something we can say for now, because this thing took place in 2008, which is about 17 years. So, at that time, I was searching whether the committee (set up to investigate the incident) dug and identified the families. I don’t know.

“But I know that the concept was to have a memorial park there. And I know the way people work in Abuja, those that are labourers, mostly are those that become victims whenever there is building collapse like this. So, usually, identifying the family is difficult,” he said.

Asked whether there is the likelihood that the current Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike is not in the picture of the real status of the plot, hence its conversion to a shopping mall, he said, “There is no way…There are so many ministers that came and left before him.

“I know that the collapse happened during the time of Aliyu Modibbo. After he left, I think we had Adamu Aliero and then Bala Mohammed. We also had Mohammed Musa Bello. All these ministers, when they came, they respected that nobody violated that proposal. So, for a plot in that prime location not to be developed, there must be a reason.

“So, somebody doesn’t need to be told that there is a reason why this place is like this. In any case, if that proposal is violated, it’s wrong,” he said.

The collapse

Our reporters recalled that about 17 years ago, the Daily Trust took several days reporting what transpired at the site of the collapsed building and the actions taken by relevant authorities.

For instance, on July 30, 2008, this newspaper reported how some of the construction workers and hawkers were buried under the rubble.

It also reported the visit to the site by the then FCT minister, Modibbo and the then Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro who facilitated rescue operation.

The then Corps Marshal/CEO of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, equally visited the scene together with the then FCT Sector Commander, Nseobong Charles Akpabio.

On July 31, 2008, the Daily Trust reported that the Director (Building Permit) Mrs. Amina Egella and the department’s District Officer (Utako), Mr. Umoru Halilu had been suspended to pave the way for unfettered investigation into the incident.

A statement at the time by the FCTA’s Assistant Director for Communications, Diran Onifade, said Modibbo also constituted a high powered committee to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the building collapse.

Onifade also said preliminary investigations into the matter showed that the building, belonging to Exposee Nigeria Limited, was being constructed on two plots: 230 and 1161 at P.O.W. Mafemi Crescent, Utako.

The statement said: “The Company Directors are Jimmy Davies of plot 1154, Sirass Crescent, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse II Abuja; and Casafina Trading Company.

“Plot 230 was originally allocated to Exposee under the Accelerated Development Programme of the FCTA on the 5th of December, 2005”, it said.

The statement added that, “Exposee got building approval only in respect of Plot 230. However, the company went ahead to illegally extend the building to adjoining Plot 1161, which is for residential purposes in violation of the terms of the approval.”

It said a stop work notice was immediately issued when it was found that the two plots were merged, and that a series of notices of “stop work” were issued to the developer on August 13th, followed by a “Quit Notice” on September 20th and finally a “Demolition Notice” was given on August 14th, 2007, respectively.

However, the company allegedly defied all those notices and continued with the construction work until the structure collapsed.

The then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, who was at the scene, had called for urgent investigation into the incident, Daily Trust reported at the time.

The Speaker, who was accompanied by his deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada, called on all relevant agencies of government to take decisive action against violators of building code. He said it was necessary for government to take drastic action to serve as deterrent to those that have continued to violate the building code, thereby putting innocent lives in danger.

Daily Trust gathered that upon completion of its investigation, the probe panel recommended that the title of the land should be revoked from Exposee, and instead, a memorial should be erected at the place in honour of the deceased.

It was also learnt that a beverage company indicated interest in building the memorial park but along the line, there was no explicit clearance for the project to go ahead.

Since then, the place was left unattended to as only mechanics and other artisans were carrying out their trades until recently when it was allocated for the ongoing construction of a shopping mall.

Further checks by Daily Trust revealed that before the plot was allocated to Exposee, it was allocated to Island Services and Supplies Limited (ISSL), with Certificate of Occupancy number Misc 8998. It was subsequently assigned to a certain businessman from Yobe State, who registered its Power of Attorney and obtained building plans but the place was listed for revocation.

What victims said on the day of the tragedy

On August 3, 2008, Daily Trust equally reported different interviews with some of the victims, including Hamisu Abdullahi and Kabiru Habibu who sustained injuries.

Others who spoke to this newspaper included Emeka Offor who was a mason at the construction site, and a young groundnut seller (not named) who escaped unhurt. They all recounted their harrowing experiences.

Though none of the direct victims of the 17-year incident could be traced at this moment, a trader who sells kolanuts at the popular Jabi Garage, Aliyu Mohammed, who spoke to Daily Trust in Hausa language, said he was sad over the alleged change in the purpose for the plot.

He said: “I came to Abuja from Jigawa shortly after the building collapsed and I was told that some people lost their lives. Most of people who witnessed the incident have left Abuja during the demolition inside the Jabi Garage two years ago.

“However, what I heard from them when I came is that after the building collapse, the government through the then FCT minister said the place will be turned into a memorial to honour those who lost their lives in the incident.

“But, to my greatest shock, only last year, I saw that they have started building there and I saw Julius Berger carrying out the serious construction. When I asked around the place, some labourers told me that they are building a supermarket and other commercial shops there.

“I was disappointed because I believe that the families of those who lost their lives would be disappointed that the government instead of honouring the dead as promised, is now turning the place to a supermarket. I think it is not fair to those who lost their lives,” he said. (Daily Trust)