Wike Approves ₦1.1 Billion Compensation For Those Affected By Demolition

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the payment of 1.1 billion naira as compensation to those whose properties were affected by the ongoing construction of Kuje Road, Abuja.

This was made known in a post on X (former Twitter) on Tuesday by Lere Olayinka, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity.

It was gathered that the FCT is constructing a eleven kilometres, 10 lanes road in Kuje.

According to Olayinka, the compensation was made known by Wike while inspecting the road project today.

Thousands of residents in Abuja have been left homeless following large-scale demolitions targeting low-income communities by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) administration.

Activists and community leaders, including social media influencer Martin Vincent Otse (popularly known as VeryDarkman) and Barrister Deji Adeyanju, had organized a protest at the Ruga settlement near Abuja’s city gate.

The demolitions reportedly displaced over 15,000 residents in Ruga alone, with allegations that authorities burned properties in some areas after the demolitions. Residents, some of whom have lived in the affected areas for nearly 40 years, carried placards with messages like “Stop Demolition,” “Wike Must Go,” and “Stop Demolishing Poor People’s Houses to Give to Your Friends.”

Protesters condemned the lack of affordable housing and accused the government of prioritizing wealthy interests over the needs of vulnerable communities.

They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and protect their rights, warning that further displacement could worsen insecurity in the nation’s capital.

Speaking at the protest, Adeyanju criticized the demolitions as unjust and harmful to low-income residents.

He argued that development should not come at the expense of the poor, especially in non-critical areas far from main roads or public infrastructure.

“The poor have a right to their land,” Adeyanju said. “If land must be acquired, it should be in affluent areas. Displacing vulnerable people to benefit the wealthy only increases insecurity. The only justification for demolition should be overriding public interest, not private gain. This ongoing demolition affects over 15,000 residents here, and some properties were even burned afterward.”

He further appealed to President Tinubu, urging him to stop the demolitions and address the plight of displaced residents.

“We warn the elite that they can only sleep peacefully if the poor are allowed to sleep. This is not about public interest—it’s a violation of the people’s rights,” he stated.