Amnesty International urges Wike to halt Maitama corridor demolition, review land allocation
Written on
Amnesty International Nigeria has asked FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to suspend a planned demolition along a public utility corridor in Maitama, Abuja, and to review the allocation of the land for private development.
Amnesty International Nigeria has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to suspend planned demolition activities affecting a public utility corridor in Maitama, Abuja, pending a review of its allocation for private development.
The organisation said the proposed demolition and development of Plot 5334 in Cadastral Zone A06 could threaten critical drainage infrastructure, increase flooding risks and undermine Abuja's master plan. It said the corridor reportedly accommodates underground stormwater and sewage drainage infrastructure constructed by Julius Berger Plc between 2012 and 2014.
Amnesty International Nigeria said it had asked the FCT Minister, the Federal Capital Development Authority and other relevant authorities to review the alleged allocation of the land to Hammari Energy Limited for private real estate development. It added that the FCDA had inspected the site and reportedly confirmed that it was reserved for an infrastructure corridor.
The organisation said the Director of Development Control issued a demolition notice dated October 9, 2026, reportedly targeting protective boundary structures along the corridor, and warned that proceeding before a proper review could undermine due process and expose surrounding properties to avoidable risks.
It said the dispute is also the subject of litigation seeking interlocutory injunctions and of an alternative dispute resolution process before the FCT ADR Committee that it understood was nearing completion. Amnesty said it wrote to Wike and the FCDA in May 2026 warning that construction on the corridor could threaten the structural stability of its national office and residential premises.
The organisation called for an independent technical assessment to establish the corridor's drainage capacity and the risks to neighbouring properties, and for the disclosure of the relevant land allocation records, planning approvals and legal basis for permitting private development on land reportedly reserved for public infrastructure.