FCT Minister Wike Brags He Will Demolish Abuja Houses ‘Blocking Waterways’, Claims Some Belong To Senators | Sahara Reporters

According to him, some property owners deliberately blocked designated water channels because they believed they would escape government action.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the demolition of buildings obstructing waterways and drainage channels across Abuja, saying the exercise will begin immediately and continue through Saturday.

Wike issued the warning on Tuesday after inspecting areas affected by flooding in the FCT following heavy rainfall.

The minister said the government had identified buildings constructed on waterways and drainage channels, warning that their owners would not be spared regardless of their status or political influence.

“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 we are going to go to the channel,” Wike said in a video seen by SaharaReporters.

According to him, some property owners deliberately blocked designated water channels because they believed they would escape government action.

“People by their positions have blocked it, believing that nothing will happen,” he said.

Wike said the recent flooding had exposed the consequences of building on waterways and would now trigger enforcement action by the FCT Administration.

“I have told people this in life, that nothing happened yesterday, that something will not happen today, that it did not happen today, that it will not happen tomorrow,” he said.

“Now you have done your own by blocking the water channel and nothing has happened, thank God the flood has come, you have drawn our attention to the place, now something will happen.”

The minister declared that structures found obstructing water channels would be demolished between Tuesday and Saturday.

“I am going to bring those houses down. Any house that is found on the water channel will go down from today to Saturday,” Wike said.

He rejected the possibility of excuses being used to stop the demolition, insisting that the FCT Administration would enforce the master plan.

“If the government controls the lake, let them find any excuse. If you are on your way to find excuses, too bad, you can’t,” he said.

“We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel.”

Wike also alleged that some of the affected properties belong to serving senators and other influential individuals.

“Some of them are senators, some of them are big men,” he said.

The minister anticipated that the demolition could attract political criticism, particularly with elections approaching.

“The next thing you will see, campaign now, who, why is he doing this during the period of election? That is the next campaign you will see now,” Wike said.

He, however, insisted that the planned demolition would proceed irrespective of the political season.

“When there is an election, there is no election, all those houses will go down. Heaven will not fall, and heaven will be at peace, that the right thing has been done.”

The minister’s announcement comes amid renewed concerns over flooding in parts of Abuja following heavy rainfall, with the FCT Administration facing pressure to address drainage blockages and developments allegedly carried out on designated waterways.