Residents of Ruga, a community located along Airport Road in Abuja, took to the streets to voice their anger over the demolition of their homes ordered by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
According to previous reports, Wike had previously tasked a group known as “Operation Sweep” with demolishing Ruga and other neighborhoods in the capital to eliminate what he termed nuisances and criminal activities.
The protest was led by prominent lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju, alongside Vincent Martins Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMark, who both claimed that the demolitions were executed with malicious intent.
Adeyanju expressed alarm at the destruction, stating that the task force had burned numerous houses and caused damage amounting to millions of naira. He appealed to President Bola Tinubu to take into account the struggles of those displaced from their homes, particularly individuals fleeing violence in Borno and other northern states.
“There is no justification for this demolition,” Adeyanju declared. “We are reaching out to the president to consider the plight of the displaced residents, who are barely managing to survive.”
He highlighted that many residents had been forced to leave 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 intervene to prevent further victimization of the people,” he added.
“We want to send a message to those in power: peace can only be maintained if the poor are allowed to live without fear. When the less fortunate are restless, it impacts everyone.”
Adeyanju urged Tinubu to rein in Wike, stressing, “He must stop the demolitions and the reallocating of land to the wealthy. There is no valid public interest at stake here, as this community is situated far from the main road.”
Otse chimed in, stating, “This situation is bizarre. The consequences of this action will weigh heavily on Abuja. The area that was demolished is not even close to the main thoroughfare. These individuals have been left homeless during a time of national hardship.”
He lamented the lack of compensation for those evicted, emphasizing, “It’s disheartening that the elite believe the poor do not matter in our society.”
