Politics
Wike orders demolition of houses blocking Abuja waterways
THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of houses and other structures obstructing designated waterways in Abuja, following the flash floods that swept through parts of the capital after last Saturday’s torrential rainfall.
Wike issued the directive on Tuesday after inspecting flood-affected areas in Maitama, where he said structures built on designated water channels had worsened the impact of the flooding.
“We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them (the owners) are senators. Some of them are big men. Whether there’s election or there’s 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.
He noted that the buildings blocking waterways would be removed between Tuesday and Saturday.
The directive comes days after heavy rainfall on Saturday, August 15, caused extensive flooding across several parts of Abuja, disrupting traffic, submerging vehicles and affecting residential and commercial areas.
The ICIR reports that the Residents and motorists were stranded on Saturday after heavy downpours triggered flash flooding in parts of the nation’s capital. The floods left parts of Wuse 2, including Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent, as well as the area around Delight Event Centre in Gudu and Efab Estate in Lokogoma, heavily flooded.
The bridge linking Gaduwa and Durumi was also heavily submerged, leaving motorists stranded and disrupting movement.
Reports from Tuesday’s inspection indicated that some drainage and water channels in Maitama had been obstructed by structures. Wike said the recent flooding exposed both environmental and human factors contributing to Abuja’s vulnerability to flooding.
According to the minister, buildings constructed on waterways, blocked drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse, and inadequate enforcement of development regulations were among the factors aggravating flooding in the capital.
He said an inspection of affected locations showed that some property owners had built over channels identified in Abuja’s Master Plan as routes for storm water.
“Unfortunately, we have gone there, and we have seen how people have blocked channels where, in the masterplan, that is the right way where the water is supposed to be channeled. 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. Those houses are not houses that were built last week. Those houses have been there 10 years ago, eight years ago,” he said.
The minister suggested that weak enforcement under previous administrations might have allowed some violations to persist, while also acknowledging that officials responsible for regulating development might have failed to perform their duties. He insisted that his administration had the political will to enforce the rules.
“Let nobody make the mistake that this government lacks the political will to do anything. The person must be making a very big mistake. If there is one minister that has that political will, I have. I have the political will,” he said.
The minister’s directive was followed by reported commencement of demolition work in Maitama on Tuesday.
During the inspection, Wike said the administration would also commence immediate desilting of identified drainage systems.
“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.
The minister urged residents and businesses to stop dumping refuse into drainage channels, warning that such practices further restrict the movement of water.
Television Continental reported that the enforcement exercise began shortly after Wike’s inspection and announcement, with authorities expected to extend the operation to other locations where structures are found to be obstructing designated waterways.
Wike also dismissed criticism of the FCT administration’s handling of the flooding, saying the disaster should not be turned into a political contest.
His comments followed criticism from Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT in the Senate.
Kingibe had said in an interview on Arise TV on Monday that she had raised concerns about the risk of flooding in Abuja but alleged that her warnings were ignored by Wike.
Wike, however, said he would not engage “political commentators” over the flooding, arguing that the administration had recorded significant achievements in the FCT while acknowledging that problems remained.
“I don’t want to reply to political commentators. I don’t want to reply to people who think that appearing on TV, in their houses, will give them an edge to win an election that they have lost. No. Nobody can diminish what this administration has done in the past three years. Nobody can diminish it,” he said.
He said the FCT administration had addressed several major challenges but would continue working on those that remained.
“This administration has done very well as far as the Federal Capital Territory is concerned. That does not mean that I can claim that it has solved all problems, no. Are there problems? Yes. Have they solved major problems? Yes. Will they continue to solve problems? Yes,” he added.
Wike also defended the administration’s record on the issuance of Certificates of Occupancy, saying 26,272 C-of-Os had been signed during his three years as minister, comparing the figure with about 7,000 C-of-Os signed by the two administrations preceding his tenure over a combined period of 13 years.
The ICIR reports that the latest action is not the first time FCT authorities have moved against developments obstructing waterways and green areas in Abuja.
In May 2025, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council ordered the demolition of structures it described as illegally constructed on waterways and green areas. In one case, officials ordered the demolition of a box culvert constructed on a waterway at Park 293, Utako.
The FCTA had also taken enforcement action against developments in flood-prone areas, underscoring the longstanding challenge of balancing Abuja’s rapid urban expansion with its original physical development plan.
Failing master plan is turning Abuja into a flood trap
The ICIR spoke with expert who reacted to the recent flooding in the city. An urban and regional town planner with Muyek Consult, Muyiwa Adebowale, told The ICIR on Tuesday said that the more fundamental problem is the progressive interference with the infrastructure and land reservations originally designed to move storm water through the capital.
“Abuja was conceived as a planned city with designated green areas, drainage corridors and waterways. But I think the major issue is this construction everywhere. As they are doing some of the constructions, they are not taking into consideration the waterways, drainages, and other issues,” he said.
The ICIR reports that following the Federal Government’s decision to establish a new capital in 1976, the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) was created and given responsibility for planning, designing and developing the new capital in accordance with a master plan.
The Abuja Master Plan, prepared by International Planning Associates (IPA), was completed in 1979. It envisaged a city developed in phases, with infrastructure and urban expansion proceeding in an orderly manner.
The plan also incorporated an extensive system of open spaces, parks, green areas and natural drainage corridors.
Adebowale said Abuja’s original master plan deliberately positioned green spaces around water bodies and steep terrain, while preserving stream valleys and watercourses as critical drainage corridors and for environmental protection, rather than merely for aesthetic purposes.
“They need to look closely at the Abuja master plan. That is a major issue that must be addressed. The master plan should be reviewed to determine whether some of the existing waterways and drainage channels have been blocked or altered by development.
“For instance, during the development around Apo-Wasa, some drainage channels may have been obstructed. There is a channel that comes from the Wasa area through Apo and into Lugbe, before connecting to waterways that flow towards the city. When these natural channels are blocked or disrupted, it can cause flooding in areas such as Lugbe. The authorities need to examine these waterways and their connections to areas such as Gaduwa and Galadimawa to understand how developments may have affected the natural flow of water,” he added.
Adebowale said every minister appointed to oversee the FCT should first familiarise themselves with Abuja’s Master Plan and understand its provisions before making development decisions. He noted that ministers who are not professionals in urban planning should work closely with critical stakeholders and planning experts to assess existing developments, identify areas facing challenges such as flooding and develop appropriate solutions.
According to him, the relevant agencies have professional planners and other experts who can provide the technical knowledge needed to address the city’s planning challenges.
However, he expressed concern that some officials appointed to key positions, including Development Control and other departments, often fail to focus adequately on their core responsibilities, particularly after securing their positions and becoming comfortable with their earnings.
“If any minister is coming, first of all, he is supposed to at least be able to look into the Master Plan. They are supposed to call all the critical stakeholders on board and then see areas that have issues, flooding and all,” he said.
The expert pointed to the movement of stormwater from satellite communities and surrounding settlements towards the city, arguing that development along these routes could interrupt established drainage paths.
The ICIR reports that a 2026 field study of drainage infrastructure in Abuja examined six chronically affected corridors and found substantial drainage problems, including blocked and silted channels.
At the Galadimawa Interchange slip road, the researchers recorded an average blockage of about 64 per cent across their measured drainage sections during their field assessment.
The study also identified Galadimawa, Apo–Dutse Road, Damagaza Road, Area 3 in Garki, Lokogoma and Lugbe among the corridors examined for recurrent flooding and drainage vulnerability.
A separate flood-risk mapping study identified Kubwa, Mpape, Wuse Market, Galadimawa Roundabout, Gaduwa Housing Estate, Lokogoma and Trademore Estate around Airport Road among high- to very-high-risk locations in Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Adebowale said that the Saturday’s flooding was therefore not an isolated event, noting that Abuja has a long record of destructive flooding.
In August 2019, flooding around Galadimawa killed FCT High Court Director of Finance Tony Okecheme after his vehicle became trapped in floodwater. Contemporary reports said Karu, Lokogoma and Galadimawa were among the worst-hit areas.
The recurrence of flooding around Galadimawa has been serious enough for authorities to adopt seasonal restrictions.
In July 2026, the FCT Emergency Management Department barricaded the Galadimawa Interchange slip road following flood warnings from the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA). Officials said the restriction was intended to prevent another loss of life and noted that the road had previously been associated with a fatal flood incident.
Flooding has also repeatedly affected Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Lokogoma, Galadimawa, Karu and other parts of the FCT.
A June 2026 report noted that the FCT received approximately N1.24 billion from the Ecological Fund between June 2023 and December 2025 for environmental challenges including flooding and erosion, while persistent flooding continued to raise questions about drainage infrastructure, urban planning and the effectiveness of ecological interventions.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.