A protest by members of the Coalition of Indigenous FCT Contractors turned chaotic on Tuesday after officers of the Nigeria Police Force fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators demanding payment of a ₦5.2 billion debt allegedly owed by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
The contractors, who arrived early at the FCTA Secretariat in Abuja, blocked the main entrance with a truck and chanted the name of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, insisting that all projects for which they sought payment had been fully executed, inspected, and verified. Security operatives swiftly cordoned off the complex, preventing them from accessing the premises.
The standoff lasted several tense minutes before police deployed multiple rounds of tear gas, scattering the crowd and forcing many of the protesters to flee.
But the contractors insisted their grievances go beyond unpaid invoices—they questioned what they described as a glaring contradiction in federal fiscal claims.
“If the federal government is declaring trillions in revenue and boasting about new foreign reserves, why is one arm of that same government—just one, the FCTA—unable to pay ₦5.2 billion for completed and verified projects?” asked one observer who witnessed the altercation.
Chuka Muojindu, leader of the coalition, said the debt of ₦5,211,503,589 covers a wide range of public works, including drain desilting, sewage evacuation, medical supplies, school furniture, borehole drilling, and other community projects across the territory.
“Every contract was inspected, verified, and forwarded for payment, but the minister has refused to approve the final release,” he said. “Over five of our members have died. Some have developed severe hypertension. Others have lost their homes and marriages. How can the government be celebrating revenue records while we are being destroyed?”
The group has repeatedly protested in recent months, accusing Wike and the federal government of withholding payments despite completing critical community projects.
Their frustration has drawn wider political attention. On Sunday, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) threatened to mobilise nationwide street protests in solidarity with contractors and pensioners owed billions of naira by federal bodies. The party questioned why the government continues to trumpet fiscal successes while citizens and businesses owed for public works languish in hardship.
As of the time of filing this report, the FCTA had not issued any official response regarding the protest, its clampdown, or the status of the outstanding payments.