Balogun, once celebrated as one of the country’s finest fighter pilots, served heroically during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where he flew combat missions that earned him respect across West Africa….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Abayomi Balogun
Retired Nigerian Air Force veteran, Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun, has accused officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Development Control of demolishing his lounge and restaurant in Abuja without prior notice, describing the action as devastating.
Balogun, once celebrated as one of the country’s finest fighter pilots, served heroically during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, where he flew combat missions that earned him respect across West Africa.
According to SaharaReporters, sources said that after retiring from active service, Balogun dedicated his life to supporting war veterans through the Green Heroes Foundation, which he founded to provide rehabilitation, therapy, and welfare support for ex-servicemen, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“He did not retire into comfort,” one source said. “He opened a lounge in Abuja not just for profit but to channel proceeds into feeding and supporting abandoned veterans who had been left waiting endlessly for their pensions. For him, service never ended.”
‘Restaurant Demolished Without Notice’
However, a video obtained by SaharaReporters showed officials of Development Control, reportedly led by one Mr. Galadima, overseeing the demolition of Balogun’s restaurant at Wuse Zone 3, Abuja. Properties worth millions of naira were reduced to rubble, while scavengers carted away what was left.
The video narrator lamented, “Earlier today, Development Control, FCDA, led by Mr. Galadima, demolished a garden owned by a retired general. Everything in the garden worth millions was destroyed and scavengers looted the remains. Shockingly, the general was not informed, nor given any quit notice.”
Balogun Recounts Ordeal
Speaking after the incident, Balogun said he was taken by surprise when bulldozers arrived at the premises.
“I was here in the morning when they came. They said they were from Development Control and started marking the place. I asked why. They said they were demolishing. I begged them for at least one week, or even just one day, to move my properties out, but they refused. Before I knew it, they brought a tractor and started leveling everywhere.”
He added that as the demolition went on, ‘area boys’ (thugs) and scavengers looted his belongings.
“Everything was crushed by their tractor, including my personal documents that I begged to be allowed to remove. They never allowed me to remove a dime,” he said, accusing the officials of claiming they acted on the orders of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The narrator of the viral video described the incident as “a harsh action against a retired general who served Nigeria faithfully for 35 years.”
Similarly, veteran Nollywood actor Patrick Doyle, in a recent Facebook post, described Balogun as one of Nigeria’s finest fighter pilots during his service.
Doyle wrote, “Air Commodore Abayomi Balogun is my friend of about 40 years. At a time he was the best fighter pilot in the Nigerian Airforce. He served heroically during the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. He founded a foundation dedicated to the welfare of Nigerian war veterans. His commitment to Nigeria is commendable and unshakable.
“In his retirement, he established a restaurant business in Abuja. The proceeds from the restaurant were used to give free meals to veterans stranded in Abuja who come to process their pensions.”
“That restaurant was demolished by Wike’s goons recently. Is this how Nigeria honours her heroes?” he asked….CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
