The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the demolition of Ruga, an illegal settlement near Karmajiji in Kukwaba District, Abuja, over allegations that it serves as a hideout for criminals.
Wike issued the directive on Friday shortly after the FCT Security Committee Meeting, when he personally led a team of security operatives on an inspection of the settlement, which sits uncomfortably close to the City Gate — one of the major entry points into the Federal Capital City.
The minister said the demolition order forms part of a broader strategy to tighten security across the FCT, following a spate of intelligence reports linking the settlement to criminal elements who allegedly use it as a retreat base after carrying out attacks in various parts of the territory.
“Look at the area. You don’t even know who the occupants are. How do you identify them? How do you know where to locate them? And this is inside the city,” Wike said, visibly displeased as he surveyed the makeshift structures.
“This is a time bomb. There’s no way we can allow this. The FCT Administration will not allow criminal hideouts to thrive in Abuja.”
He directed the Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Ahmed Sanusi, to work in tandem with the Director of Development Control to ensure the settlement is pulled down without delay. Wike further warned that any individual found harbouring criminals or aiding illegal activities from such locations would face the full weight of the law.
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The Ruga settlement in Kukwaba is one of several informal enclaves that have sprung up in and around Abuja over the past decade, driven largely by rural–urban migration, the high cost of housing in the city centre, and gaps in enforcement of the FCT master plan. Security agencies have repeatedly flagged such settlements as flashpoints for kidnappings, armed robberies, and one-chance operations that have plagued residents of the capital.
Since assuming office in August 2023 under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Wike has adopted an aggressive posture on urban renewal and security in the FCT, ordering the demolition of numerous illegal structures, scavenger colonies, and shanties in districts including Mabushi, Jahi, Gwarinpa, and Utako. His approach — though praised by President Tinubu, who recently credited the minister with restoring “real life” to Abuja and forcing criminal hideouts to disappear — has also drawn criticism from civil society groups and lawmakers, some of whom have called for legislative probes into the manner and legality of certain demolitions.
Kukwaba District, where the affected Ruga settlement is situated, lies within the built-up area of the Federal Capital City and is designated for formal urban development under the Abuja master plan. Authorities say the presence of unregulated settlements in such zones not only breaches planning regulations but also creates serious security blind spots, given the difficulty in identifying occupants or tracing suspects who blend into the sprawling shanties.
The FCT Administration has, in recent months, intensified what it describes as “Operation Sweep” — a coordinated clearance of illegal settlements across the territory — in response to rising public concern over kidnappings and violent crime in satellite towns and city districts alike.
Wike reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to sustaining security operations across the territory, stressing that the safety of lives and property of residents remains the top priority of the FCT Administration.
“The demolition is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal enclaves, improve public safety and protect residents,” he said.
NAN
