Wike promises 80% solution to Justices’ Housing challenges by 2026

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has assured that President Bola Tinubu’s administration will resolve 80 per cent of the housing problems faced by justices across Nigeria before the end of the president’s first term.

Speaking on Tuesday during the commissioning of a magistrates’ court in Abuja, Wike disclosed that 50 duplex units would be allocated to the Federal Capital Territory High Court, with 20 units to be delivered in October 2025 and 30 more in June 2026.

“And let me assure you, before the end of the first tenure of Mr President, we would have solved 80 per cent of your accommodation problem in terms of housing. By October this year, we are going to hand over 20 units of duplexes to the FCT High Court, and by June next year, before the third anniversary of Mr President, we are also handing over 30 units of duplexes to the FCT High Court,” he said.

The minister lamented the difficult living conditions of some justices, noting that many live as tenants at the mercy of landlords and sometimes reside in high-risk areas while handling sensitive criminal cases.

He said, “Sometimes, you go out and see where justices are living as tenants. And then sometimes, when they are not able to pay on time, they are at the mercy of their landlords.’

‘Their landlords can use their cars and block the gate and say, ‘Look, they have not paid us. Go away. Even where they are living, you don’t even know where criminals are. Sometimes, they are carrying out criminal matters, and they live with even those criminals around. So, how do you want to guarantee their lives? Mr President has said that it has to come to a stop.”