February 10, 2026 | SUNTV Global Channel | News
Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, has sparked outrage after a video emerged showing him openly boasting about ordering the forceful takeover of a woman’s land because she challenged his actions.
In the video sighted by SUNTV Global Channel on Tuesday, the former Ebonyi State governor was heard narrating how what began as a dispute with a female landowner escalated into a full government acquisition of her remaining property — allegedly as punishment for her resistance.
Umahi admitted that the land seizure was not originally planned but was triggered by the woman’s refusal to comply.
“I didn’t want to take the woman’s remaining land, but when she started making troubles, I said they should go and acquire the land. I’m the one — not any other person else,” the minister said.
His remarks have raised serious concerns about abuse of power, intimidation of citizens, and the misuse of state authority, with critics arguing that the statement amounts to a public admission of human rights violations.
The minister did not disclose the location of the land, nor did he provide details of any legal process or compensation carried out before the acquisition. However, the comments suggest that the decision was taken unilaterally and in direct response to opposition from the landowner.
This incident echoes long-standing allegations against Umahi dating back to his tenure as governor of Ebonyi State.
In December 2025, SUNTV Global Channel reported that grief and displacement had become widespread in Umuchima, the most populous of the 14 communities in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area — Umahi’s hometown.
Residents said their suffering intensified shortly after Umahi assumed office as governor in 2015, alleging that forced demolitions, land seizures, and violent confrontations carried out under government authority left many families traumatised, impoverished, and bereaved.
Community members further alleged that homes, ancestral compounds, and farmlands were demolished in the name of government projects, resulting in severe psychological trauma and, in some reported cases, deaths.
Umahi’s latest remarks have reignited public debate over executive impunity, citizens’ land rights, and accountability of public officials, with rights groups calling for an independent investigation into the allegations.
