Activist and legal practitioner Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address what he describes as the systematic destruction of Abuja’s original Master Plan, warning that the city now faces an environmental emergency that threatens its very survival.
In an open letter addressed to the President, Adeyanju expressed deep concern over the escalating flood crisis in the Federal Capital Territory, noting that areas once considered safe from such disasters are now being submerged after every heavy downpour.
He reminded the President that Abuja was deliberately designed with green belts, parks, gardens, and drainage channels integrated into its layout to serve as natural buffers against flooding and to maintain ecological balance. These provisions, he said, were never decorative but functional and essential.
“But today, that vision has been betrayed,” Adeyanju wrote. “Homes are being swallowed, roads are collapsing, and lives are being disrupted — not because the rain is unusual, but because we have stripped the city of its natural defenses.”
The activist pointed to several communities now listed as high-risk flood zones by the FCT Emergency Management Department, including Lokogoma, EFAB Estate, Galadimawa, Lugbe, Maitama, Wuse, Garki, Asokoro, Guzape, Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Kubwa, and others. He described the situation as a ticking time bomb.
Adeyanju further alleged that portions of land originally reserved as green areas under the Master Plan have been illegally converted for residential and commercial use. Among the examples he cited were the green space opposite Blake’s in Area 11, the area around Rita Lori Hotel, the vicinity of MTN in Maitama, and the land near the old Customs Office in Wuse Zone 3.
He also raised a particular concern over the covering of a major canal in Maitama, which he claimed was done to allow for the construction of residential buildings — an action he linked to Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomai, who chairs the Senate Committee on the FCT.
The activist praised previous FCT administrators who resisted the temptation to turn every open space into real estate, noting that their restraint was not foolishness but foresight.
“Those leaders understood that a city must keep spaces that may look unprofitable today but are vital for its survival tomorrow,” Adeyanju stated.
He urged President Tinubu to order an immediate and comprehensive review of all land allocations and developments encroaching on green belts, waterways, and drainage corridors across the FCT.
Adeyanju stressed that the fate of Abuja concerns all Nigerians, as it houses the Presidency, the National Assembly, the judiciary, diplomatic missions, and international organizations. He cautioned that if the current trend continues unchecked, not even Aso Rock would be safe from the rising waters.
“God forbid that such a thing happens,” he said.
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