(DDM) – A decorated Nigerian Air Force veteran, Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun (rtd.), has accused officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Development Control of demolishing his Abuja restaurant without notice, leaving him devastated and dispossessed.
Balogun, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s finest fighter pilots, served heroically during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where his combat missions earned him international respect.
According to DDM findings, the retired officer established his lounge and restaurant in Abuja after service, using the proceeds to feed and support abandoned war veterans through the Green Heroes Foundation, an initiative he founded to rehabilitate ex-servicemen suffering from trauma and neglect.
Sources close to Balogun told DDM that his venture was not solely for profit but primarily to sustain stranded veterans waiting endlessly for unpaid pensions.
However, a video circulating online showed FCDA Development Control officials, reportedly led by one Mr. Galadima, supervising the demolition of the property located in Wuse Zone 3, Abuja.
Millions of naira worth of assets were destroyed, with scavengers carting away remnants as security officials looked on.
The video narrator condemned the action, calling it a “shocking assault on a retired war hero who served Nigeria faithfully for 35 years.”
Speaking after the incident, Balogun said the demolition caught him completely off guard.
“I was here in the morning when they came,” he recalled.
“They said they were from Development Control and started marking the place. I asked why, but they insisted they were demolishing.”
“I begged them for just one day to remove my properties, but they refused. Before I knew it, a tractor arrived and began leveling everything.”
The retired officer lamented that his documents, personal belongings, and business assets were all crushed, while area boys and scavengers looted the site.
He accused the officials of acting under instructions from Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Veteran Nollywood actor Patrick Doyle reacted to the demolition in a Facebook post, describing Balogun as one of Nigeria’s greatest fighter pilots.
Doyle noted that Balogun’s restaurant served as a lifeline for veterans stranded in Abuja, who often received free meals while awaiting their pensions.
“Is this how Nigeria honours her heroes?” Doyle asked, condemning the treatment meted out to the retired officer.
Observers say the demolition has sparked wider questions about the federal government’s handling of military veterans, many of whom live in poverty despite years of sacrifice.
Balogun’s supporters have vowed to pursue justice, insisting that the destruction of his livelihood undermines Nigeria’s moral obligation to honour those who risked their lives in service.
The incident has fueled growing anger in Abuja and beyond, with critics accusing Wike’s administration of targeting vulnerable citizens and disregarding due process.
For now, Balogun’s restaurant lies in ruins, while the veterans he supported are left in deeper uncertainty about where their next meal will come from.
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