RESIDENTS of the Ruga community in Abuja are expressing their distress as over 10,000 individuals have reportedly been displaced due to the ongoing demolition of what the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has deemed ‘illegal’ structures. The residents are lamenting their dire living conditions in the aftermath of these demolitions.
A trending 10-minute video shared on X by social media activist VeryDarkMan (@Coolverydarkma) depicts the displaced residents, including weeping children, pleading with the FCT Minister to reverse his decision that has left them homeless.
Some residents featured in the video stated they have lived on the land for more than 37 years, establishing their livelihoods before the demolition efforts began.
“We have been here for 37 years. Since the tenure of Nasir El-Rufai, the government has attempted to take this land, but they have not succeeded until now. This is the most egregious assault we have experienced. We have resided here even before much of the surrounding development took place. If they remove us from here, where will we go?” one elderly man affected by the demolitions told reporters in Hausa.
In support of their plight, VeryDarkMan urged both Wike and President Bola Tinubu to halt the demolitions for the sake of the impoverished community.
“Where do you expect these people to go? The area that has been destroyed is not even adjacent to the main road. Look at the faces of these people. While I dislike generalizing, the reality is stark. The aftermath of this will be an increase in desperation leading to crimes such as theft and violence as people seek ways to survive. At a time when the economy is struggling, and people are suffering, how can you justify these demolitions?”
“Why not consider an alternative by providing housing for these individuals, even temporary solutions, before proceeding with the demolitions?” asked VeryDarkMan, as the displaced residents applauded.
“You are demolishing their homes and leaving them to fend for themselves. Are they supposed to return to Borno, where they face kidnappings and bombings? Are they meant to go back to Kano, which is grappling with insurgency? No! They will remain here and create new problems for the rest of us.”
“It’s shocking that the elites act as if the poor aren’t part of our society. The poor are your brothers and sisters. While your own children are safe at home, these people are someone else’s sons and daughters. Look at those children on the ground—what future awaits them? With their parents now homeless, they won’t be able to access education and will remain exposed to the elements.”
“Nyesom Wike, esteemed Minister, I fail to understand your purpose for this land. Demolition can only be justified if it serves an overriding public interest, not for reallocation to others. I understand your desire to develop Abuja; however, displacing people without offering them alternative housing is unacceptable. We cannot survive without the poor, as they perform the essential jobs that many cannot do. Do you want to paint or sweep the streets yourself?” (the crowd responds with “no!”)
“Please, Mr. Minister. I also implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and prevent further demolitions,” he concluded.
Earlier on X, VeryDarkMan posted: “Dear Nyesom Wike, Minister of FCT. This is pure wickedness and inhumanity—to force over 10,000 people out of their homes at gunpoint, rendering women and children homeless, without shelter or hope, in an economy where even the elites are struggling. This is unjust, and if this continues, it will likely give rise to terrorism and insurgency in Abuja.”
“We are in desperate times; people can barely afford to eat, and now you’ve put them in a situation where they have to sleep in the cold, with no beds or roofs over their heads. Please halt the demolitions, or at the very least, create housing for them, relocate them, and compensate them. Your elite friends can enjoy the lands afterward, but leaving these people in this manner will certainly lead to increased insecurity.”
In a related protest, activists, including lawyer Deji Adeyanju, accused Wike’s task force, known as “Operation Sweep,” of using heavy-handed tactics that have left many residents homeless. Adeyanju condemned the demolitions, asserting that properties worth millions were destroyed and homes were burned.
“There is no justification for these demolitions. We appeal to President Bola Tinubu to heed the plight of the displaced, who are struggling to survive,” Adeyanju stated.
Many affected individuals had previously fled insecurity in northern states like Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe, leaving them in an even more vulnerable position.
“These demolitions are excessive,” he argued, “and the President needs to intervene to prevent further abuse of residents. We want to warn those in power that peace is only achievable if the poor are allowed to live peacefully. When the poor cannot sleep, it affects everyone.”
A similar demolition had taken place at Lugbe and other communities in Abuja.
