The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures built on designated water channels in Abuja, insisting that political influence or pressure from senators and other prominent Nigerians will not stop the exercise.
Wike issued the directive on Monday, August 17, 2026, during an inspection of areas affected by flooding following heavy rainfall in the nation’s capital.
The minister said investigations by the FCT Administration showed that several buildings had been constructed on waterways designated under the Abuja Master Plan, obstructing the free flow of water and contributing to worsening flooding across the territory.
According to Wike, some of the affected properties belong to serving senators and other influential Nigerians. However, he said the status of the owners would not prevent the government from enforcing planning regulations.
“I’m going to bring those houses down. Any house that is found on the water channel will go down,” Wike said.
He dismissed concerns that the demolition could become politically controversial, particularly with elections approaching, insisting that the government would proceed regardless of political considerations.
“Whether there is an election or there is 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,” he said.
Wike subsequently directed the FCT Department of Development Control to identify and demolish all structures obstructing designated waterways.
He gave officials until Saturday to commence the exercise and warned that delays or excuses would not be tolerated.
“From today to Saturday, if Development Control delays, let them find any excuse to run away. They cannot. We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel,” he said.
The minister attributed the flooding in Abuja to a combination of natural and human factors, including climate change, unusually heavy rainfall, inadequate desilting of drainage systems, indiscriminate refuse disposal and the construction of buildings on waterways and land not approved for development.
While acknowledging that flooding has become a global challenge affecting both developing and developed countries, Wike said the government must tackle preventable human activities that worsen the situation in Abuja.
He noted that weather forecasts from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, had warned of the possibility of flooding in some areas due to expected torrential rainfall.
“We are in a climate-change period. The kind of rains we have experienced, or are experiencing now, we have not experienced before. But that is not to say there are no man-made factors. There are, and it is those man-made factors we have been trying to tackle, and we will continue to tackle,” he said.
Wike said post-flood inspections had exposed several locations where buildings were erected on channels reserved for the passage of water. He suggested that previous administrations may not have had the political will to remove some of the structures but maintained that his administration would not allow political considerations or the social status of property owners to override public safety.
The minister also rejected suggestions that the demolition exercise would disproportionately affect poor residents, arguing that most of the buildings identified on restricted waterways belonged to wealthy Nigerians.
“Of all the areas we have gone to, mention anything there that was caused by a poor person. All those built-up areas that were not supposed to be built up—not a single poor person lives there. Those houses were built by well-to-do Nigerians,” he said.
In addition to the demolition order, Wike directed the immediate desilting of drainage systems in flood-affected areas and urged residents and traders to stop dumping refuse in drains.
He also warned against the unauthorised conversion of designated green areas, stressing that parks and recreational facilities should not be confused with protected green spaces under the Abuja Master Plan.
The minister dismissed attempts to politicise the flooding and demolition exercise, saying the disaster should instead be used as an opportunity to identify the causes of flooding and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
Wike also defended the record of President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the FCT, particularly its land administration reforms. He said the administration had signed more than 26,000 Certificates of Occupancy within three years, a figure he claimed exceeded the number issued by two previous administrations over a combined 13-year period.
“Nobody can diminish what this administration has done in the past three years. Nobody can diminish it,” Wike said.
He maintained that the FCT Administration would continue to prioritise public safety, enforce the Abuja Master Plan and promote orderly development across the capital.
“I have no interest. My interest is that we will continue to do the right thing in the FCT, where no one will stop us,” the minister said.
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