The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that shanties in Abuja are illegal and vowed to remove all occupants.
Speaking during a live media chat on Monday, September 1, Wike described the shanties as eyesores that tarnish the city’s image and serve as hideouts for criminals.
“When you say shanties, are shanties legal? We cannot take security lightly. People have complained about insecurity, kidnapping, and ‘one-chance’ crimes. These criminals occupy all these shanties. Sometimes, they even take over the corridors meant for roads, and then demand compensation when authorities want to build,” he said.
“Criminals don’t live where they can be easily located. They hide in these illegal settlements.”
Wike stressed the government’s resolve to evict all illegal occupants, emphasizing that security is paramount.
“We will ensure that all illegal occupants are removed. It’s unfortunate, but nothing supersedes security. Any government that cannot provide security has no right to govern. We must balance concerns about poverty with the need for safety,” he said.
Addressing concerns that poverty forces people to live in shanties, Wike dismissed it as a valid excuse for illegal occupation and the resulting insecurity.
“Poverty is not a reason to allow crime—killing, robbery, kidnapping. That’s unacceptable. It defaces the city. We’ve asked people who claim ownership of these lands or who neglect their properties why they allow criminals to settle here and harm the city.”
Wike recalled that in March 2025, he ordered the demolition of structures blocking road construction in Gishiri, Katampe, after giving occupants a three-month notice which they ignored. He also criticized community chiefs for failing to enforce the evacuation orders.
He also defended similar demolitions carried out in December 2024, insisting that the targeted properties were illegally built on government land.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and Abuja residents—we are not afraid of blackmail. Many land grabbers operate here, but some of us are standing firm. Let heaven fall if it must. It’s better to face that now than to keep fasting to get to heaven,” Wike said during the distribution of operational vehicles to security agencies at the FCTA Secretariat.
