By Abubakar Yunusa
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has disclosed how former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, allegedly revoked a plot of land belonging to former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, in Abuja.
Kukah stated this while reflecting on Gowon’s turbulent years after leaving office, said the former military ruler returned from exile without owning any property in Abuja.
According to him, Gowon only secured a plot of land after the intervention of senior military officers, including former military president, Ibrahim Babangida.
“He didn’t have a plot of land. And when he came back, it was just out of pity, let me put it that way, that General Babangida agreed.
“Finally, they named one crescent after him, and after the crescent, they now gave him a plot of land, his first plot of land in Abuja,” the outspoken cleric stated.
Kukah said Gowon had already mobilised resources and commenced construction on the property before the allocation was withdrawn during El-Rufai’s tenure as FCT minister.
“He mobilised resources to try and start building. He begins to build. Then El-Rufai, who was minister of the FCT, revoked the land,” the bishop stated.
The cleric, however, disclosed that retired General Theophilus Danjuma and other influential figures later intervened and helped Gowon recover the property.
