By Sofiat Adenekan-Abdul
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of illegal shanties and criminal hideouts along the Kukwaba rail corridor near Karmajiji, describing the settlements as a major security threat to residents of Abuja.
The directive followed an emergency security meeting held on Friday at the minister’s official residence in Life Camp, after which Wike led heads of security agencies on an inspection of the affected area.
Addressing security chiefs, the minister stressed the need for proactive measures to identify and eliminate emerging security threats before they escalate, warning that the unchecked growth of illegal settlements could undermine the safety of the Federal Capital Territory.
“We have seen where insecurity is breeding, and we cannot allow it to reach a stage where it becomes difficult to control. We have to stop it now. What I saw is a threat to the city. I couldn’t believe such a thing could exist here,” Wike said.
Following the inspection, the minister described the shanties as safe havens for criminal elements, insisting that the FCT Administration would not tolerate any development capable of threatening public safety.
He subsequently directed the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, to work with the Department of Development Control to immediately demolish the illegal structures and ensure the rail corridor is secured against further encroachment.
Wike said the exercise forms part of the FCT Administration’s broader strategy to strengthen security, safeguard critical public infrastructure and maintain law and order across Nigeria’s capital city.
