Abuja floods: Wike gives demolition order, says action starts immediately

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures obstructing waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone areas of Abuja.

Wike gave the directive on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by flooding in Maitama, following heavy rainfall that caused flooding in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister directed relevant FCT authorities to commence the demolition exercise immediately and continue until Saturday, stressing that political activities or the status of property owners would not stop the enforcement action.

Wike said the decision was aimed at removing structures obstructing natural waterways and drainage channels, which he identified as contributing to flooding and poor stormwater flow in affected areas.

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He said the FCT Administration would not allow political considerations or the identities of property owners to interfere with measures designed to protect lives and property.

The directive came days after heavy rainfall caused flooding in several parts of Abuja, leaving some residents stranded and submerging vehicles.

Wike said the government was determined to address the causes of recurring flooding by clearing waterways and removing structures found to have obstructed natural drainage channels.

He directed the relevant agencies to ensure that the demolition exercise covered Maitama and other flood-prone locations where buildings or structures were found to be blocking waterways.

The Minister said the action would continue until Saturday as part of immediate measures to improve stormwater flow and reduce the risk of further flooding across the capital.

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