Wike To Meet Police Chief Over Demolition Of Illegal Duplexes In Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, says he will meet with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, after the demolition of residential duplexes reportedly built by the Nigeria Police Force under a high-tension power line in Apo Dutse District, Abuja.

The minister made the statement on Friday during an inspection visit to the site where the structures were pulled down. The buildings, believed to be owned by the Police, were demolished by officials of the FCT Department of Development Control for violating safety regulations and building without approval.

The demolition, which took place on Thursday, affected at least eleven units of three- and four-bedroom flats. The operation, however, took a dramatic turn when officers of the Development Control Department were arrested by Police personnel during the exercise.

Wike described the situation as unfortunate and said the officers acted lawfully to enforce planning rules. He explained that the land had been allocated to the Police but that the department refused to grant construction approval due to the danger posed by the high-tension power line running through the area.

He said the ministry could not ignore the illegal construction since the site posed a direct safety threat to lives. He added that the matter would be discussed with the IGP to prevent future incidents where government agencies ignore safety warnings or assume immunity from the law.

Director of the Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, also confirmed that the plot, identified as Plot 189 (B14) in Dutse District, was given to the Police for institutional use in 2018. He explained that the Police had applied for development approval but were denied after a site inspection revealed the presence of a high-tension line directly above the proposed structures.

According to Galadima, several stop-work notices were issued to the developers in July, but construction continued in defiance of the warnings. He added that the Department of Engineering Services had also notified Development Control of plans to build a flood-control bridge near the same area, making the site even more unsafe for residential development.

He said the demolition became necessary to protect lives and ensure public safety, noting that allowing the illegal buildings to stand would have been irresponsible, especially given the known risks.

The minister’s planned meeting with the Police chief is expected to address the arrest of the FCT officials and prevent a repeat of such conflicts between government institutions enforcing urban planning laws.