Avwenagha Charles, the CEO of Stopover Bar and Grill in Abuja, has gone viral after an emotional on-site interview in which he described watching bulldozers raze his business to the ground, leaving him with a £75,000 loan and no establishment to show for it.
Demolition Without Prior Notice
Speaking to PSN amid the rubble of his demolished property, Charles said the destruction came without any formal notice. He had heard rumours roughly a week before that authorities were coming to claim the land, and he made the decision on his own to begin evacuating equipment on Sunday.
By Tuesday morning, he had welders, carpenters, and masons on site actively dismantling materials when, just after noon, bulldozers arrived and levelled the entire structure while workers were still on the roof.
A Loan, a Dream, and 84 Staff
Charles said he borrowed £75,000 from the United Kingdom to fund the investment, responding to the widely repeated call for members of the Nigerian diaspora to return home and put money into the country. He stressed that he had never secured a government contract and did not rely on political connections, describing the venture as a purely private investment built from personal savings and borrowed funds.
He said: "I took a loan from the UK, 75,000 pounds to come and invest in Nigeria. You people say we should come back from diaspora to invest in Nigeria."
The bar and grill, which he built approximately a year and three months before the demolition, employed 84 members of staff. Charles also noted that neighbouring businesses in the same area, including Barbados, Amalashita, RM's Dream, Hunters, and Aris, were similarly affected, putting the total number of people left without work at no fewer than 300.
"Look at 84 people. What are they going to do?" he said, visibly distressed.
With the business gone and the loan still outstanding, Charles said he was seriously weighing his options, including returning to the UK and cutting his losses.
Nigerians React Online
The interview drew a sharp response across social media, with many viewers divided between sympathy and criticism.
@amandaergoyoga said: "Well, to everyone, there's only one thing to do right now, next year, invest in voting right and defending your votes. Things will get better"
@KDTopTen said: "This is unfortunate if his side of the story is true and prior notice, he's a Nigerian and should sue the government for destroying his investment instead of protecting it."
@Akinrinmade_14 said: "This country has frustrated too many people. You work hard, invest your money, and instead of support, you're met with actions that set you back. It's honestly painful to watch."
@Amon_Raee said: "Government say make you come invest, you collect loan from where Dey work come invest for inside bush, oga it's all on you"
In a related story, a man returned to Nigeria after 33 years in the UK, while another nurse returned after eight years abroad. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a lady who relocated to the UK announced her return to Nigeria permanently after spending years abroad, citing her reasons which caught people's attention.
