WHAT A WAY TO THANK A HERO! They cheered when he flew combat missions to protect Nigeria. They saluted when he helped restore peace to Liberia and Sierra Leone. But today, Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun (rtd), a decorated ex-war pilot who gave 34 years of his life to serve the nation has been left without a business, penniless, and humiliated in the land he fought to defend.
The shock demolition of his small business, Jazz and Blues Entertainment, located inside Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3, Abuja, has sparked outrage and tears. The retired general watched helplessly on Wednesday, August 7th, as bulldozers, backed by armed police and civil defence agents, rolled in and flattened the only thing keeping him and 37 Nigerian youths afloat without notice, without mercy.
“I only asked for one day… just one day… to evacuate my things,” the visibly shaken Balogun said. “But they wouldn’t even grant me that.”
Instead, they crushed it all, his livelihood, his garden of peace, his post-retirement dream. And as if the official trauma wasn’t enough, scavengers (popularly called Baban Bola) stormed the ruins moments later, armed with machetes, looting whatever the bulldozers didn’t destroy, all under the nose of a bewildered and powerless General.
NO NOTICE, NO MERCY
Eyewitnesses say the FCDA Development Control unit, led by one Mr. Galadima, stormed the park like a war zone. With no prior notice, they began marking buildings, even football fields for immediate demolition. But after destroying only two structures, including Balogun’s, the entire operation mysteriously stopped.
Why? Why destroy only the ex-General’s structure and halt the mission?
Was this a targeted takedown? Was it selective demolition, or a show of vendetta for refusing to “settle” unnamed forces?
Even more troubling, the General reportedly presented genuine, approved documents from the FCDA showing that his structure was legitimate. But officials turned a blind eye, allegedly declaring: “We’re acting under orders from above.”
Staff of Jazz and Blues, mostly young Nigerians now face an uncertain future. Their only means of income has been erased in broad daylight. One of them, clearly distressed, said:
“We don’t know what to do now. That place was everything for us.”
Valuables worth millions were destroyed. Expensive sound systems, office furniture, kitchen equipment, and irreplaceable personal effects, all buried in the rubble.
THEFT AFTER TEARS
As the demolition crew departed, chaos followed. Baban Bolas swarmed the wreckage like vultures. The retired General’s remaining items were looted while his staff were threatened at knifepoint. Desperate, Balogun reportedly called the Nigerian Air Force and Police. But by the time help came, the scavengers had already stripped the property bare.
“It was a coordinated humiliation,” said a security analyst. “This wasn’t just about land, this was a message.”
A NATION THAT EATS ITS HEROES?
Is this how Nigeria honours its heroes? A man who flew through enemy fire for his country, now left to beg for justice?
Investigations suggest that the Zone 3 green areas are being quietly reallocated to new political elites, with existing occupants crushed to make room. The Jazz and Blues demolition is believed to be part of this silent land grab, a tragic symptom of a system where might makes right.
This incident raises hard questions about leadership, impunity, and justice in the FCT. If a retired General can be reduced to tears and hunger in retirement, what hope is there for the average Nigerian?
Emperor Wike, as FCT Minister, must be held accountable for the actions of his subordinates. The nation is watching and history will not be kind to those who destroy what patriots spent a lifetime building.
A nation that cannot protect its heroes is doomed to dishonour. If this is how we treat our veterans, how will anyone feel safe after service? General Balogun deserves justice, not bulldozers.
