The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures built on designated waterways in Abuja as the capital grapples with renewed flooding.
Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by flooding in Maitama and other parts of the FCT.
The move comes after heavy rainfall on Saturday that left residents stranded and submerged vehicles in several parts of Abuja, raising fresh concerns about the city’s drainage infrastructure and development along flood channels.
The minister said the demolition exercise would begin immediately and continue until Saturday, insisting that political considerations or the status of property owners would not stop enforcement.
“We will pull down every house built on the water channels, regardless of who owns them. Some of the affected properties belong to senators and other influential people, but the law will apply to everyone,” Wike said.
He said several buildings had been erected on waterways mapped out in Abuja’s Master Plan to allow stormwater to flow freely.
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According to him, the recent flooding exposed the combined impact of heavy rainfall, climate change and human activities, particularly construction on waterways and blocked drainage systems.
“The major factors worsening flooding in Abuja include buildings constructed on waterways, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and the failure to properly maintain and desilt drainage systems,” he said.
Wike blames blocked waterways
Wike said an inspection of some flood-affected locations showed that property owners had blocked channels originally designed to carry stormwater away from residential areas.
“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.
He noted that many of the affected properties belonged to wealthy Nigerians and had remained in place for years. Nigerianmilitary updates
“All those built-up areas that were not supposed to be built up, not a single poor person will live there. Those houses are houses built by well-to-do Nigerians,” the minister said.
Wike suggested that some of the illegal developments had existed for between eight and 10 years, raising questions about why previous administrations failed to enforce Abuja’s planning regulations.
He, however, insisted that the current administration would take decisive action.
“If there is one minister that has that political will, I have. I have the political will,” Wike said.
The minister also directed relevant FCT authorities to immediately begin desilting drainage channels identified as contributing to flooding.
He warned residents, traders and other members of the public against dumping refuse into drainage systems, saying such practices could further restrict the movement of floodwater.
Kingibe blames development on green areas and flood channels
Wike’s directive comes amid criticism from Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the Federal Capital Territory in the Senate.
Kingibe has attributed the worsening flooding in Abuja partly to construction activities on green spaces, gullies, flood channels and flood plains.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Monday, the senator said she had repeatedly raised concerns with relevant FCT agencies about developments she believes are inconsistent with Abuja’s original Master Plan.
“Absolutely. Some of the developments sanctioned by the current FCT administration are indeed heightening the flood risk in Abuja. I have consistently raised concerns about the green areas, gullies, flood channels and flood plains, as I observe them being developed upon,” Kingibe said.
She said she had previously warned that Development Control should not approve construction on such locations.
“Yet, they continue, and this is the outcome,” she added.
Kingibe cited developments in Wuse Zone 6, where she said a residential project was being constructed over a sewage line, as an example of what she described as poor planning.
“This poses a health hazard,” she said.
The senator also raised concerns over construction around gullies in Asokoro and the development of parts of Jabi Park, which she said was designated as a public park.
“Consequently, when it rains, particularly given the rocky terrain surrounding Abuja, the water has no proper outlet because all its pathways are obstructed,” Kingibe said.
She added that some remaining flood channels had also been narrowed, limiting their ability to carry large volumes of water.
“It is not feasible to build on every available space in a city, especially one that was designed according to a master plan that is now being disregarded,” she said.
Kingibe: Wike worsened an existing problem
While acknowledging that Abuja’s flooding problems predated the current FCT administration, Kingibe said the situation had become significantly worse in recent years.
She maintained that her criticism was not motivated by her disagreement with Wike but by concerns over the welfare of FCT residents.
“Clearly, there was an issue. It did not originate with him, but he has certainly intensified that problem considerably,” Kingibe said.
The senator said she had raised concerns about Abuja’s green areas and flood risks before the current crisis and had contacted relevant officials after becoming a senator.
She said she had also written to the FCDA requesting details of the short- and long-term measures planned to address the city’s flooding problems.
“I did not provide specifics in this initial letter. I informed them that this is a pressing issue, and I would like them to outline their intended actions in both the short and long-term,” she said.
Kingibe said she would escalate the matter to the FCT Committee of the National Assembly if the relevant agency failed to respond.
The dispute over Abuja’s flooding is increasingly focused on whether demolishing structures alone can address the city’s recurring flood problems.
Kingibe called for immediate clearing of waste and unclogging of drains before the next heavy rainfall, arguing that refuse washed into drainage systems could worsen blockages.
“One of the immediate actions I would recommend, before the next rains, is to clear the significant accumulation of waste throughout the city,” she said.
She also called for a broader assessment and maintenance of Abuja’s sewage and drainage infrastructure.
According to her, the FCT needs a comprehensive approach that addresses long-standing infrastructure problems rather than relying on political arguments.
“We need to engage in a realistic and comprehensive discussion, setting aside political agendas, to identify urgent solutions,” she said.
Wike, meanwhile, has maintained that flooding should not be treated solely as a political issue, pointing to climate change and unusually heavy rainfall as contributing factors.
We are in a climate change period. 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. There are,” he said.