Irony As Rainstorm Destroys Wike’s New Abuja Bus Terminal, After He Orders Arrest Of Collapsed Hotel Building Owner And Revokes Land Allocation
A rainstorm on Tuesday afternoon destroyed parts of the Kugbo Bus/Taxi Terminal, a pride project of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, scheduled to begin operations soon.
Residents have pointed out the irony as the terminal collapsed just as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Nyesom Wike, ordered the arrest and prosecution of the owner of the two-story building that collapsed on Friday in Jikwoyi, Abuja.
The heavy rain, which began around 3:30 p.m., blew away the terminal’s roof and deposited the debris on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway.
The development caused heavy traffic on both sides of the dual carriageway, while scavengers were seen carting away valuable parts of the roof and other valuables deposited on the road.
Confirming the incident, Mr Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, said that the rainstorm also caused minor damage to the Nyanya pedestrian bridge and some buildings in the area.
Olayinka said in a statement that preliminary reports showed no one was injured, and no vehicle was damaged.
He said that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had directed that security men be deployed to the scene, to prevent breakdown of law and order and to ensure free flow of traffic.
He assured that immediate action would be taken towards fixing the damages caused by the rainstorm.
NAN reports that the Kugbo bus/taxi terminal is one of the three newly built terminals inaugurated in June 2025.
Wike inaugurated the construction of bus and taxi terminals in Mabushi, Central Business District (CBD), and Kugbo in July 2024, to enhance commuter safety and convenience.
Mr Biodun Otunola, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Planet Project Ltd., explained that the Kugbo and Mabushi terminals were designed to process more than 10,000 passengers each day.
Otunola, the contractor, added that the terminals were also designed to accommodate 120 buses and taxis each daily for both intercity and intra-city travel.
He, however, said that the terminal in the CBD was different, adding that it was essentially designed for intra-city operations.
The contractor said that each of the three terminals would employ at least 100 persons.
The Minister explained that President Bola Tinubu and FEC had approved the management of the bus terminals in Mabushi and Kugbo, based on a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
He said that the bus terminals, though completed and inaugurated in 2025, could not begin operations because their management was above ministerial approval.
Wike, who gave the order after he inspected the site in Abuja on Monday, also announced the revocation of the 2,500 square meters land allocated to the owner.
The two-story hotel building was under construction when it collapsed, leaving several workers injured.
The Minister, who thanked God that no life was lost, said that the owner was constructing the building with no approval from FCT’s Development Control.
He added that despite the notice of discontinuance from development control, the owner went ahead with the construction.
“The first thing to note is that there was no approval for the construction of this building.
“Since there was no formal approval, and nobody knows the quality of material they were using for the construction, the government will immediately take over this plot of land
“We will then find out from the community what they will want the government to build for them for public use.
“The owner, and whoever is involved, will be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.
He advised land owners to always follow procedures by getting the necessary approvals before embarking on any building construction.
“We have always said that people should go through the simple process – go to Development Control Department and get approval.
“Let the department know what you intend to build, what the quality of materials is, and then they will supervise you from one stage to the other.
“But of course, they will ignore it, and this is the situation we find ourselves in.
“Sometimes buildings spring up in the early hours. The simple thing is to go and get approval, so that development control will know what you intend to do and the quality of material that you want to use,” he said.
Wike said that the FCT Administration would not hesitate to bring down any building lacking approval.
NAN
