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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of about 30 buildings found to be encroaching on the Right of Way of the Ring Road 3 corridor in Abuja.
The minister’s order is expected to pave the way for the affected Right of Way to be cleared to facilitate uninterrupted construction of the Ring Road 3 corridor and associated interchange infrastructure.
Wike issued the directive on Thursday during an inspection of ongoing road infrastructure projects linking Karsana District, Gwarinpa and the Kubwa axis, expressing anger over the emergence of structures directly within the designated corridor of a major interchange.
The minister’s intervention followed a briefing by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Richard Dauda, who drew attention to the structures obstructing the project corridor.
Dauda said the affected buildings were located within an area reserved for the Ring Road 3 infrastructure under the Abuja Master Plan.
Reacting to the discovery, Wike summoned officials of the Department of Development Control and directed them to commence action against the structures without delay.
“We’ll have to demolish this right now. Demolish the building down,” Wike ordered.
Expressing disbelief that structures could have been allowed to emerge within the designated corridor, the minister added: “How can it be like this? It’s even a road, it’s not even a layout—it’s an interchange, the leg.”
He reiterated that the minister’s directive underscored the FCT Administration’s renewed push to enforce the Abuja Master Plan and prevent private developments from obstructing major transportation infrastructure.
At the project site, Dauda explained to journalists that construction of the second bridge along the corridor had progressed despite the rocky terrain.
“Here is rocky; there’s no piling, so they’ve already started the foundation. It won’t delay, so bridge works will continue,” he said.
He explained that the project corridor runs through Karsana District and connects the area towards Kubwa Road, also known as the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX), extending towards Airport Road.
“This is Karsana District now, with all the estates,” Dauda said, adding that the Ring Road 3 corridor would connect to the planned flyover and continue towards Airport Road.
“To this side is Kubwa Road—the Outer Northern Expressway (ONEX)—and this is now the corridor of Ring Road 3 up to Airport Road,” he said.
Dauda further explained that the flyover would terminate at the location, from where the Ring Road 3 would continue along its designated alignment.
“It’s where the flyover here will terminate, and then Ring Road 3, when it comes, will continue this way,” he added.
The discovery of the encroachments has raised fresh concerns over development control in the FCT, particularly the construction of private structures along corridors reserved for major public infrastructure.
Wike, however, made it clear that such developments would not be allowed to frustrate government projects, insisting that the integrity of the Abuja Master Plan must be protected.
