The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched an investigation into the severe flooding recently recorded along the Airport Road axis and Lokogoma District, with authorities set to determine the causes and implement lasting solutions.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike disclosed this during a media chat on Tuesday, September 2, 2026, saying a high-level task force led by the Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and the Director of Development Control had been dispatched to assess the affected areas, including Lugbe and Lokogoma.
Wike said the investigation would establish whether the flooding was caused by natural factors or human activities, particularly developments that may have obstructed waterways and designated road corridors.
“When I heard of the incident, the Executive Secretary of the FCDA and the Director, Development Control had to go to the place, not only at the Airport Road but also in Lokogoma,” the minister said.
“The one that is man-made, we can solve the problem; the one that is natural, there is nothing we can do—it becomes a natural disaster. So, it’s something that we have to investigate.”
The minister acknowledged the intensity of recent torrential rainfall in Abuja but said preliminary assessments indicated that years of violations of the Abuja masterplan may have contributed to the flooding.
According to Wike, structures have been erected without valid approvals in some areas, with natural waterways blocked and road corridors encroached upon.
He said the FCTA would take decisive action to correct abuses of the Abuja masterplan along the Airport Road axis and would demolish structures found to be obstructing waterways.
“From our studies, Lugbe has always been violating the Abuja masterplan,” Wike said, adding that the administration would no longer tolerate people building without approval or blocking areas designated for roads and other infrastructure.
The minister also disclosed that the FCTA had begun taking administrative action against officials accused of facilitating illegal developments in green areas and waterways.
He revealed that a government director had recently been suspended under civil service rules for issuing unauthorised temporary approvals to commercial operators on designated green zones, while another official was sanctioned for allegedly reallocating park land under the guise of security clearing.
Wike also dismissed claims that government approval would protect structures found to have been illegally developed on green areas or waterways.
“You got approval to do something wrong… sometimes, it’s under influence,” he said, stressing that government policy prohibits development on designated green areas.
FCTA Gives Update on Road Projects
The minister also gave an update on infrastructure projects across the FCT, assuring residents that projects awarded under the current administration, as well as inherited projects, would be completed before the end of the administration’s tenure.
He said 76 of the 107 road projects awarded by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the FCT had been completed, while another 10 were expected to be completed ahead of the upcoming elections.
Wike added that the administration had completed 23 of the 25 projects inherited from the Muhammadu Buhari administration and six of the eight projects inherited from the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
He further said the administration had addressed some long-abandoned projects dating back to the Olusegun Obasanjo era.
“For the first time in the history of the FCT since 1999, no administration has awarded that number of projects and completed them,” Wike said, adding that records of the projects had been made public through national television networks.
Wike Defends Fuel Subsidy Reform
The minister also defended the Federal Government’s decision to remove fuel subsidy, arguing that the increased revenue available to subnational governments should translate into improved public services and infrastructure.
He urged citizens to demand accountability from state and local governments, which he said now receive significantly higher allocations.
Wike cited the revival of the Abuja rail mass transit system and expansion of the FCT road network as examples of infrastructure improvements resulting from increased government resources.
He also questioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s recent comments on restoring fuel subsidy, arguing that the focus should instead be on how governments have used the gains from its removal.
“All you should have asked was: having removed subsidy, what did you do with the gains of it?” Wike said.
He noted that states were now paying salaries and pensions, while universities were operating without the prolonged strikes witnessed in previous years.
Wike Pays Emotional Tribute to Dan Orbih
The minister also paid an emotional tribute to his late political associate, Chief Dan Orbih, describing him as a principled leader whose integrity remained firm despite political pressure.
“Dan Orbih stood very firm in spite of pressure,” Wike said, recalling his last meeting with the late politician before Orbih travelled abroad for medical treatment.
Wike said he later visited Orbih at the London Clinic and expressed deep sadness over his death.
“We cannot question God, but I don’t know whether I can really recover from it,” he said.
Minister Speaks on Rivers Politics
Addressing his political activities in Rivers State, Wike said he remained committed to maintaining political stability and maintaining contact with his grassroots supporters.
He also claimed that major political actors in Rivers State had united under a “Rainbow Coalition” in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
The minister dismissed the prospect of a fragmented opposition in the state, saying the political alignment would strengthen support for the president ahead of future electoral contests.
