The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has strongly criticized the Nigerian Police Force for defying urban planning laws, leading to the demolition of its own multi-million naira housing estate.
The illegal estate, located in the Gudu district of Abuja, was built directly under high-tension power lines and on land reserved for a future bridge. The FCT Administration demolished the nearly-completed project on Thursday after the police developers ignored multiple warnings and continued construction without approval.
During a visit to the site, a visibly concerned Wike described the situation as “unfortunate” and a clear public safety risk. He emphasized that no institution is above the law.
“The development control said no. There’s no way they would grant approval… They asked them to stop, they refused to stop,” Wike stated. He confirmed that police officers had arrested FCT officials who carried out the demolition, which prompted his personal inspection.
The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, explained that the police were formally denied approval in 2018 due to the dangerous location. Despite receiving official stop-work notices as recently as July, construction continued.
The minister vowed to take the matter to the highest police authorities, stating that the government’s role is to enforce rules, not break them.
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