Wuye Residents Protest Planned Demolition, Allege Wike Handed

Residents of Wuye District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have staged a protest against the planned demolition of community facilities, including a school, football field and recreational area, accusing the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of sacrificing public infrastructure for private development.

The protesters also alleged that land originally designated for the proposed Wuye District General Hospital under the Abuja Master Plan was reallocated to a private developer, a move they claim has deprived the community of much-needed healthcare infrastructure.

The residents described the affected land as the heart of their community, saying it has served for years as a school environment, football field, recreational centre and gathering place for residents of all ages.

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They expressed outrage over what they described as an impending demolition, alleging that construction activities had already commenced on parts of the disputed land following its reported reallocation.

According to the protesters, the planned demolition would wipe out some of the few remaining public spaces in Wuye and deny children and youths access to educational, sporting and recreational facilities.

The residents appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and halt the demolition, urging the Federal Government to preserve the community facilities and restore the land to its original purpose as a site for a public hospital.

They maintained that Wuye’s rapidly growing population requires quality public infrastructure, particularly a government-owned hospital, rather than additional private real estate development.

The protesters further called on the FCTA to provide a clear explanation for the reported change in land use and to make public all documents relating to the allocation of the site.

As of the time of filing this report, the FCTA had not issued an official response to the protest or the allegations raised by the residents.