LAGOS — The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has sparked fresh outrage following a viral video in which he appears to boast about the forced acquisition of private land for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
In the clip, which has been widely circulated on Monday, February 9, 2026, the Minister is seen “bragging” about his authority to seize property from a woman who allegedly challenged the government’s demolition plans. “Before, I didn’t want to take the woman’s remaining land, but when she started making trouble, I said they should go and acquire the land,” Umahi stated defiantly. “Na me, no be any other person.”
Power vs. Property Rights
The Minister’s “chest-beating” has been met with sharp criticism from legal experts and human rights activists, who describe the comments as an “arrogant display of executive lawlessness.”
- The Landmark Resort Conflict: The acquisition is part of the ongoing friction surrounding the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a ₦15 trillion project that has already seen the demolition of several multi-billion naira properties along the Lagos shoreline, including parts of the Landmark Beach Resort.
- Constitutional Concerns: Critics argue that while the government has the power of eminent domain under the Land Use Act, using state power as a “punishment” for citizens who speak out is a violation of fundamental rights.
‘Modern-Day Slavery’ and Elite Excess
The timing of Umahi’s comments is particularly sensitive as Nigerians grapple with a vanishing middle class and record-high debt (₦152tn).
- The Contrast: Advocates like Rinu Oduala and the young Lagos graduate who recently decried “modern-day slavery” have used the Minister’s clip to highlight the “disconnect” between the ruling class and the governed.
- The ₦7.6tn Write-Off: Opponents have also linked Umahi’s “aggressive” infrastructure drive to the unilateral ₦7.6 trillion NNPCL debt write-off, suggesting that while the government “bullies” private landowners, it “forgives” trillions in elite-managed corporate debt.
The 2027 Political Shadow
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition figures have mocked the Minister’s stance, characterizing it as a symptom of the APC’s “Renewed Rigging Plan”. They argue that a government that “brags” about seizing land is one that has lost confidence in winning the 2027 “Patriotic Assignment” through fair means.
As of Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Works has not issued a formal context for the Minister’s remarks, though supporters of the project maintain that the coastal highway is a “national necessity” that overrides individual property interests.
