The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the demolition of houses built on waterways in Abuja, amid public criticisms that trailed flooding in the FCT at the weekend. 

After inspecting the areas affected by flood on Tuesday, Mr Wike ordered the immediate demolition of houses found obstructing designated water channels in Maitama and other flood-prone areas of Abuja, a statement by his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, said. 

Mr Wike stated, “We will demolish all those houses found on the water channels. Some of them are (owned by) senators. Some of them are (owned by) 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.”

According to the FCT minister, the recent flooding exposed several man-made factors contributing to flooding in the capital city, including the construction of buildings on waterways, blockage of drainage channels, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and failure by relevant officials to properly supervise developments and desilt drainage infrastructure.

“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 the water is supposed to be channelled,” Mr Wike said.

He added that he discovered that some property owners deliberately blocked channels designated in the Abuja Master Plan for the passage of stormwater.

“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,” Mr Wike said.

Citing flooding incidents in cities such as Dubai, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, Mr Wike said “Flood could be a natural disaster.”

He added, “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.”

Mr Wike came under intense public criticisms after flood submerged cars, houses and roads after rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.

Some residents of the FCT and netizens berated Mr Wike for encroaching on green areas, linking it to the reason for flooding.

The rains on Saturday and Sunday took over Abuja districts, causing commuters to be stranded. Pictures of cars submerged in water and homes flooded in different locations, including Wuse, Jabi, Maitama, Katampe and Apo districts in Abuja, emerged on social media.