A Hospital Reduced to Rubble
On Saturday, residents of River Park Estate in Abuja awoke to the sound of bulldozers tearing through what was once a beacon of hope: the Margaret Lawrence University Teaching Hospital (MLUTH)—a cancer care facility under active development.
The demolition, carried out by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has sparked outrage across civil society, with the Centre for Human Rights and Advocacy in Africa Network calling the act “high-handed, insensitive, barbaric and unacceptable”.
The hospital, commissioned over a year ago, was envisioned as a world-class centre for oncology and medical training.
Its destruction has raised urgent questions about governance, sensitivity, rationality, transparency, and the future of healthcare infrastructure in Nigeria’s capital.
The loss of this facility could have significant implications for the local healthcare system, particularly in the field of cancer care, potentially leading to increased patient load on other healthcare facilities and a setback in the fight against cancer.
No Warning, No Explanation
According to eyewitnesses and advocacy groups, the demolition was executed without prior notice, leaving residents and stakeholders stunned. “They took the whole day to do what they were doing,” said Mr. Henry Abba, Executive Director of the advocacy group.
“This is a project that has been actively under development. How does that qualify as an ‘undeveloped portion’ of land?”
The FCTA has yet to issue a formal statement explaining the rationale behind the demolition.
However, reports suggest that the action may be part of a broader policy to reclaim undeveloped land within the estate—a claim that critics say is being used to justify land grabbing disguised as urban development. We are actively seeking a response from the FCTA or Minister Wike to provide a balanced view of the situation.
River Park Under Siege
The hospital demolition is not an isolated incident. In the three days leading up to Saturday’s action, 35 other structures within River Park Estate were reportedly demolished under the directive of a Ministerial Taskforce set up by FCT Minister Barrister Nyesom Wike.
This task force, established to address urban development issues, has been the subject of controversy due to its aggressive approach, which some critics argue is leading to the destruction of vital community infrastructure without due process or consideration for the residents.
Residents describe the atmosphere as one of panic and uncertainty, with many questioning the legality and morality of the task force’s operations.
“What we are witnessing is a siege,” said Michael Ikwebe, Director of Programmes at the advocacy group. “Nobody knows who’s next. And nobody seems to be talking.”
Legal and Moral Questions
Legal experts argue that the demolition of a healthcare facility—especially one tied to a university—without due process or public consultation violates both constitutional rights and urban planning ethics. The group has called on Minister Wike to rein in the task force, alleging that it is operating beyond the scope of its mandate.
“When has a project under construction become an undeveloped space?” the group asked pointedly, demanding that the minister clarify the criteria used to justify such actions.
Public Outcry and Calls for Accountability
The demolition has ignited a wave of public backlash, with hashtags like #SaveOurHospitals, #HealthNotBulldozers, and #DemolitionInBadFaith trending across social media platforms.
Civil society organisations are demanding a full investigation into the demolition, restitution for damages incurred, and a halt to further demolitions until a transparent review is conducted.
They are also calling for the FCTA and Minister Wike to issue a formal explanation for the demolition and to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Deep diving into the matter – out of curiosity to know – what it takes to build an oncology centre of such standard and to seek expert opinion on the whole matter, TheDiggerNews spoke with a renowned consultant and Group Medical Director (GMD), Ago Medical Centre (AMC), Okota, Lagos, Dr. Kola Afolabi.
Dr Afolabi maintained that, inasmuch as the government hasn’t explained why the destruction occurred in the first place, it was still wrong to bulldoze the facility, considering the kind of services they render, as “they should have waived whatever wrong that the authority of the university may have committed.”
He said: “My personal view is that no matter what, even if the people did not take appropriate permission to do the construction, but what services they want to render are so special to the well-being of Nigerian citizens that they should have waived whatever wrong that the authority of the university may have committed because of the kind of services they want to render.”
According to him, the government should provide special consideration for such facilities, as neither the national nor sub-national governments in Nigeria have a special program for cancer patients.
“Especially when you realise that Nigerian governments, both national and sub-national, don’t have any special program for cancer patients in Nigeria, for Nigerians who have cancer, there is no special program for them.
“And for this reason, if private hospital institutions are considering constructing multi-billion-naira worth of facilities for the citizens that you yourself are supposed to provide and you’re unable to provide, I think courtesy demands, I mean simplicity and humanity demand that you allow the facility to run,” the GMD insisted.
Afolabi was quick to add that the action of the government, however, was burned by callousness, barbarism and oppression.
“Well, we have the kind of government that is so callous, barbaric and oppressive, so things like that don’t run in their veins.
“How do we explain something like that? No matter what, even with six months’ notice, there are always ways to negotiate how to live with the project, despite the claim that no notice was given.”
Afolabi went further to explain what the facility stood to benefit the undergraduate medical students.
“The kind of training the undergraduate doctors would be able to access there, assuming the project were alive now, would be of immeasurable advantage to the country. So, I really don’t agree with whatever reason they gave.”
The medical consultant, therefore, advised that the university should seek redress in the competent court of law. “I advise the university’s authority to take legal action because we need to scrutinise all these actions in a court of law. That’s my view,” Afolabi submitted.
Cancer Statistics in Nigeria
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there were 127,763 cancer cases reported in 2022.
The breakdown of these figures indicated that 48,096 patients were male, while 79,667 represented the Female figure, and prevalent cases over 5 years were 269,109.
In addition, Cancer-related deaths were 79,542.
According to the research, the age-standardised incidence rate (per 100,000) stipulated 93.9 for males and 133.3 for females, and the combined figures stood at 113.6
The IARC research on cancer also revealed the top cancer types. According to it, the common types of cancer for men are Prostate, Colorectal and Liver cancer, while the women-related types are Breast and Cervical cancer.
Access to Treatment & Infrastructure
According to the National Hospital Abuja and the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT), there are only eight (8) Radiation Oncology Centres nationwide – seven public and one private to a population estimate of over 200 million people.
Another shocking revelation was that less than 10% of these facilities are fully operational!
Regarding modern equipment, the report revealed an ugly trend: most centres lack treatment planning systems (TPS), while some still use outdated cobalt-60 machines in the 21st century.
The report also disclosed that very limited Brachytherapy Access, as only one centre offers HDR brachytherapy for gynaecological cancers.
On Cancer Registry Coverage, nearly 90% of centres lack proper registration systems, according to NICRAT.
Cost of Cancer Treatment
According to the BusinessDay Health Report, the costs of prostate cancer injections range from ₦20 to ₦25 million per dose, while radiation therapy for breast cancer costs ₦1.5–2 million, as of 2022. Little wonder Nigeria spends over ₦500 billion annually on outbound cancer treatment (Medical tourism).
Barriers to Access
Late diagnosis is a significant problem due to poor awareness and limited screening, coupled with its high treatment costs and attendant lack of insurance coverage.
Another barrier is the geographic disparities, as rural areas evidently have minimal access to oncology services. There is also the issue of workforce shortages due to a lack of trained oncologists and radiotherapists.
And finally, the issue of policy gaps. Currently, there is no known national cancer program or emergency prioritisation.
These figures underscore the urgent need for investment, policy reform, and infrastructure development in Nigeria’s cancer care ecosystem.
Unanswered Questions:
The FCTA has not issued a formal explanation as of the time of filing this report. Nevertheless, TheDiggerNews is actively seeking responses from the FCTA and Minister Wike.
What’s Next?
As Abuja grapples with the fallout, the silence from FCTA officials continues to fuel speculation and distrust. For now, the remains of MLUTH stand as a stark symbol of what many see as development gone rogue—where bulldozers speak louder than policy, and public health takes a backseat to political expediency.
TheDiggerNews will continue to follow this story and seek answers from all parties involved.