Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, has affirmed that his administration will continue shanty demolitions and will not be deterred by blackmail or protests.
Recall that on November 5, residents of Ruga, a settlement along the airport road in Abuja, protested against the demolition of structures. The protest was led by Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), and Deji Adeyanju, a lawyer and activist. The protesters demanded the minister’s dismissal and recovery of the demolished ancestral land.
During a Sunday address in Abuja, Wike pledged to continue demolishing all shanties that pose a security threat to the capital city’s residents. The minister’s commitment followed his inspection of the ongoing demolition of shanties in Ruga.
Wike expressed his frustration that the area had been cleared 22 times, yet the occupants continued to return.
He stated, “Be assured that we will continue with the demolition of shanties that pose a security threat to FCT, Abuja.
“It doesn’t matter what colouration; whatever name anybody wants to give to it, we will do the right thing and nothing will stop us.”
He warned against rebuilding in the area, underscoring the FCT administration’s duty to uphold Abuja’s master plan.
“This is where you have the rail line; this is a buffer zone and if we allow these kinds of people to live here, what it means is that anything can happen to our train,” he explained. “Nobody will take that risk. You can imagine the number of persons that are living here, whom we cannot identify.”
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He stated that it has been unequivocally communicated that no construction, either temporary or permanent, should take place until the government has made a conclusive decision regarding the land.
The minister instructed Abba Gara, the spokesperson for the occupants, to choose five representatives for a crucial meeting with government officials on Tuesday to discuss a peaceful resolution. Wike also mentioned that selected areas of the demolished settlements would be converted into bus terminals.
