Activists and community leaders, including social media influencer Martin Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkman, and Deji Adeyanju Friday led a protest at the Ruga settlement near the Abuja city gate against the demolition of poor peoples’ houses by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The demolitions, part of the minister’s “operation sweep” initiative have reportedly affected over 15,000 residents in Ruga alone.
The protesters accuse Wike of carrying out the demolitions with malicious intent, claiming the task force destroyed numerous homes and property worth millions of naira.
Adeyanju expressed concern for the displaced residents, many of whom are said to have fled conflict zones in northern Nigeria, including Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
The rights activist condemned the demolitions as excessive and unjustified, urging President Bola Timubu to intervene and prevent further harm to the vulnerable population.
“We are appealing to President Tinubu to intervene and stop these demolitions. These people have already suffered so much, having been displaced due to insecurity in the north.
“There is no reason to demolish their homes now,” Adeyanju said.
Otse also criticized the demolitions, stressing that the area being cleared was not close to the main road, and that the affected residents were not being compensated.
He warned the elite against “treating the poor as if they don’t matter. These people are now homeless amidst already severe economic hardship.”
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