Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of buildings constructed on designated waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone areas of Abuja.
The directive follows severe flooding in Maitama Extension over the weekend, which submerged several mansions and was blamed by residents on construction along waterways and blocked drainage channels.
Wike issued the order after an inspection of affected areas on Tuesday, directing the FCT Department of Development Control to begin the demolition and continue the exercise through Saturday.
Daily Trust had reported that flooding worsened in the area after a major canal was covered to make way for the construction of buildings reportedly linked to a senator. The buildings were said to have been erected on a green area and within the canal corridor.
Wike said the demolition would apply to all structures found to be obstructing designated water channels, regardless of the owners’ social or political status.
“Any house that’s found on the water channel will go down. We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men,” Wike said.
“Whether there’s election or there’s no election, all those houses will go down. Heaven will not fall. Rather, heaven will be at peace that the right thing has been done.”
Also Read: Abuja residents slam Wike after heavy flooding
The minister insisted that political considerations or the status of property owners would not prevent enforcement, saying the FCT Administration had the political will to remove structures obstructing waterways.
According to Wike, the recent flooding exposed several human activities that have worsened flooding in the nation’s capital, including construction on waterways, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and inadequate maintenance of drainage infrastructure.
He said inspections showed that some property owners had built on channels designated for stormwater drainage under the Abuja Master Plan.
“Unfortunately, we have gone there, and we have seen how people have blocked channels where, in the Master Plan, that is the right way where the water is supposed to be channelled,” he said.
Wike noted that many of the affected properties had existed for years and were largely owned by wealthy Nigerians. He argued that the government could no longer allow social status to shield illegal developments from enforcement.
The minister also directed relevant FCT authorities to begin the immediate desilting of identified drainage systems and urged residents and traders to stop dumping waste into waterways.
While acknowledging that climate change and unusually heavy rainfall had contributed to the flooding, Wike said human activities had significantly worsened its impact.
“Flood could be a natural disaster,” he said, adding that there were also “man-made factors” contributing to the situation.
Daily Trust
