Breaking: Demolition Begins in Abuja After Wike Vowed to Pull Down Senators’ Houses, Video Trends
- Demolition operations kicked off in Maitama, Abuja, targeting structures built over waterways across the FCT
- FCT Minister Nyesom Wike had ordered the removal of buildings obstructing drainage channels to tackle flooding
- Wike set a Tuesday-to-Saturday window for the demolition exercise as part of a wider flood control drive
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FCT, Abuja - Demolition work commenced on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, in the Maitama district of Abuja, with crews moving against buildings that were erected on waterways across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to an update provided by Lere Olayinka, the senior special assistant on public communications to Nyesom Wike, the exercise follows a directive from the FCT minister, who ordered that structures obstructing water channels be pulled down within a specific timeframe running from Tuesday, August 18, to Saturday, August 22.
Source: Facebook
The FCT minister had said:
“Any house that’s found on the water channel will go down. We will demolish all those houses found on the water channel. Some of them are senators. Some of them are big men."
Wike ordered the demolition of buildings obstructing designated waterways in Maitama and other flood-prone parts of Abuja.
Sources disclosed that flooding worsened in the area after a major canal was covered to make way for the construction of buildings linked to a senator.
The buildings were said to have been constructed on a green area and the canal corridor.
Why Wike ordered the demolition
Flooding has remained a persistent challenge in several parts of Abuja, with blocked and encroached waterways widely identified as a major contributing factor. Structures built directly on or alongside drainage channels reduce water flow capacity, causing overflow during heavy rainfall that damages roads, homes, and public infrastructure.
The Maitama district, one of Abuja's more established high-end neighbourhoods, is among the areas where such encroachments have been identified. The commencement of demolition there signals that the exercise covers even upscale parts of the city and is not limited to informal settlements.
Abuja demolition timeline and scope
The minister's order covered waterway obstructions across the FCT broadly, with Maitama among the first areas to see active enforcement. The Tuesday-to-Saturday schedule sets a short but concentrated period for the removal exercise, suggesting the authorities intend to move quickly across multiple sites.
No specific figure for the number of structures earmarked for demolition was provided, but the directive's scope encompasses any building found to be sitting on or interfering with the city's drainage network.
Watch the demolition in the X post below:
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Tremor rocks FCT Abuja
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Abuja recorded a minor earth tremor.
The Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) detected the seismic activity and notified Dele Alake, the minister of solid minerals development, who directed the agency to provide him with hourly updates for continuous review and possible escalation to other relevant government agencies.
Source: Legit.ng
