Tobias Sylvester
Residents of Ruga, a settlement along Airport Road in Abuja, protested on Friday against the demolition of their homes by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Nyesom Wike had instructed a task force, known as “Operation Sweep,” to clear Ruga and other areas within the capital, claiming the goal was to remove perceived nuisances and curb crime.
Leading the protest, lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, along with Vincent Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, described the demolition as a targeted attack.
Adeyanju voiced concerns over the destruction, revealing that numerous homes were burned and property worth millions of naira was lost.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to consider the suffering of displaced people, many of whom were originally forced out of their northern homes due to insecurity.
Adeyanju said: “There is no justification for this demolition. We are using this medium to appeal to the president to consider the plight of the displaced residents, who are barely surviving.
“Most of the residents here were forced out of their homes in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe due to insecurity.
“Most of them are artisans trying to make a living. These demolitions are excessive, and Mr President needs to act to prevent further harassment of the people.
“We are sounding a warning to those in government that peace is only achievable if the poor are allowed to live peacefully. When the poor cannot sleep, it affects everyone.
“Tinubu should call Wike to order and stop him from demolishing people’s homes and reallocating the land to rich people.
“There is no justification for demolishing these homes and allocating them to the rich. There is no overriding public interest here because the community is far from the main road.”
On his part, VeryDarkMan said, “This is strange. The repercussions of this will have a heavy toll on Abuja. This area that has been demolished is not near the main road. These people have been rendered homeless amid the ongoing hardship in the country.
“They are evicting these people without compensating them. It is sad that the elite think the poor are not part of society.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Nyesom Wike recently gave beggars in Abuja until October 27, 2024, to leave the streets.
