- FCT Minister Nyesom Wike issued a demolition order targeting houses blocking drainage channels in Abuja, setting a Saturday deadline
- Wike said some of the properties belong to senators and prominent individuals, warning that no one would be spared
- The directive came amid public anger over widespread flooding in Abuja, which many residents had blamed on the FCT administration
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has ordered the demolition of all houses built on water channels across Abuja, giving property owners until Saturday, August 18, to expect action, as flooding continues to disrupt daily life in the capital.
Wike made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja, saying authorities had visited affected sites and confirmed that structures were blocking approved drainage routes in the city’s master plan.
Source: Facebook
He said the owners of those properties had gambled on inaction by the government, and that the recent floods had exposed the scale of the problem.
Wike Orders Abuja Drainage Channel Demolitions
The minister was direct about the status of those who would be affected, saying some of the buildings belong to senators and other influential individuals. He dismissed any anticipation of political pressure, saying he expected campaigns to stop him but that the demolitions would proceed regardless.
“Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men,” Wike said.
“The last thing you will see now is a campaign. ‘Oh, why is he doing this?’ That is the last campaign you will see. Heaven will not fall.”
He added that the flood had served a useful purpose by drawing official attention to the blocked channels, making it impossible to ignore the problem any longer.
Abuja Flooding Triggers Fresh Property Crackdown
Abuja residents have faced significant flooding in recent weeks, and public frustration had been directed at Wike’s administration over the state of the city’s drainage infrastructure. The minister had previously said the flooding situation predated his time in office.
His Saturday deadline signals a shift to direct enforcement rather than warnings, and his tone at the press conference left little room for negotiation with property owners on affected land.
Watch Wike’s full press conference statement here:
Wike Gives Condition to Resign From Tinubu’s Cabinet
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had publicly dared critics to disprove road construction claims tied to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, staking his resignation on the figures he presented at a commissioning ceremony in Abuja on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Speaking during the inauguration of the reconstructed Arab/Gbazango road in Kubwa, Wike said 221 kilometres of roads have been completed out of 317 kilometres awarded across satellite towns in the FCT since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Source: Legit.ng