Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of all houses and structures built on designated water channels across Abuja, declaring that no property owner, regardless of status or political influence, will be spared.
Wike, who spoke against the backdrop of the recent flooding in parts of the Federal Capital Territory, said the demolition exercise would commence immediately and continue throughout the week.
The minister specifically warned officials of the FCT Development Control Department against shielding owners of properties built on waterways, revealing that some of the affected structures belong to serving senators and other influential Nigerians.
“I am going to bring those houses down. Any house that is found on the channel—water channel will go down,” he said.
Wike added, “From today to Saturday, if the development control delay, let them find any excuse to run away. They cannot,” stressing that some of the affected property owners were powerful individuals.
“Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men.”
The FCT minister also dismissed concerns that the demolition exercise could be interpreted as political victimisation, particularly as the country approaches an election season.
He said, “The next thing you will see campaign now, ‘Oh, why is he doing this during period of election?’ That is the next campaign you will see now. ‘Stop him! Let us finish election.’ Whether there’s election oh, there’s no election oh, all those houses will go down”.
According to Wike, the affected properties were not recently constructed, but had remained on waterways for several years under previous administrations.
“Those houses are not houses that were built in last week. Those houses have been there 10 years ago, eighy years ago,” he said.
He stressed that the properties were largely owned by wealthy Nigerians, rather than ordinary residents.
“All those built-up areas that were not supposed to be built up, no, not a single poor person will live there. Those houses are houses built by well-to-do Nigerians”, he stated.
On the recurring flooding in Abuja, Wike acknowledged that climate change and unusually heavy rainfall had contributed to the situation, but insisted that human activities had significantly worsened the problem.
“We are in a climate change era. The kind of rains we have experienced, or we are experiencing now, we have not experienced before. But that is not that there are no man-made factors,” he said.
He identified the obstruction of water channels by developers, construction on unauthorised land, failure to desilt drainages and indiscriminate dumping of refuse as major factors contributing to flooding across the FCT.
Wike also warned against the illegal conversion of green areas into parks, saying such practices would no longer be tolerated.
“Because something was done wrongly many years ago, and then it will not be corrected? No, we will not allow that. We won’t,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister defended his administration’s performance in the FCT, citing the issuance of 26,000 Certificates of Occupancy within three years.
According to him, the figure surpassed the 7,000 Certificates of Occupancy issued by two previous administrations over a combined period of 13 years.
Wike accused critics of using the flooding to score political points instead of acknowledging the administration’s achievements.
“The moment they saw the figures in terms of certificates of occupancy to ease businesses came out, instead of them to commend the administration, they used the issue of flood to begin to play politics,” he said.
He, however, commended residents who genuinely alerted the authorities to flooding incidents, while condemning those he accused of turning the situation into political propaganda.
“I appreciate those Nigerians who meant well by calling us to say, ‘Look, you may not have seen this. See what has happened.’ Not those who will just, after putting the video, ‘Oh, circulate this! Wike has killed Abuja!’”
Wike maintained that he would not be intimidated by political criticism over the demolitions, insisting that the flooding was not created by him.
“I never created any flood. So, I hope now that we have started to demolish, you won’t cry to say, ‘Oh, it’s against a political opponent.’ No,” he said.
