The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures obstructing designated waterways in Abuja, declaring that the enforcement will proceed regardless of the political status of property owners.
Wike issued the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by the recent flooding in Maitama, where he said the FCT Administration had identified developments that were blocking channels reserved for stormwater.
The minister directed the Department of Development Control to commence the demolition immediately and complete the exercise by Saturday, insisting that political activities would not halt enforcement of the Abuja Master Plan.
“We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men.”
He said the recent flooding had exposed the consequences of years of encroachment on waterways, blocked drainage systems, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and inadequate maintenance of drainage infrastructure.
According to him, inspections showed that some property owners had built directly on channels designated in the original Abuja Master Plan for stormwater passage.
“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.”
Wike said many of the affected structures had existed for years and were owned by wealthy Nigerians, stressing that the government would no longer allow social status to shield illegal developments from enforcement.
He maintained that the administration had the political will to confront violations of planning regulations, regardless of the influence of those affected.
“And let nobody make the mistake that this government lacks the political will to do anything. The person must be making a very big mistake.”
The minister said flooding could be caused by natural factors, including climate change and unusually heavy rainfall, but warned that human activities had worsened the impact in the capital.
He listed buildings erected on waterways, developments outside approved areas, failure to desilt drainage channels, and indiscriminate waste disposal as major man-made contributors to flooding.
Wike consequently directed relevant FCT authorities to commence the immediate desilting of identified vulnerable drainage systems, while appealing to residents and traders to stop dumping refuse into waterways.
He also dismissed attempts to politicise the flooding, saying enforcement of development regulations would continue despite the political season.
The minister said the administration would also protect designated green areas and reverse developments that violated Abuja’s planning framework.
Wike disclosed that the FCT Administration had signed 26,272 Certificates of Occupancy within the past three years, compared with about 7,000 issued by two previous administrations over 13 years.
He argued that the administration’s record should be assessed comprehensively rather than judged solely on the recent flooding, while acknowledging that several challenges remained.
The minister directed the Department of Development Control to ensure there was no delay in executing the demolition order.
“I’m going to bring those houses down. Any house that’s found on the water channel will go down.”
He said the enforcement was necessary to restore Abuja’s drainage system, protect residents from avoidable flooding and preserve the integrity of the capital’s master plan.
