Environmental Time Bomb Looms in Maitama Extension as Green Area Is Illegally Converted to Estate
Human rights lawyer and activist, Barrister Deji Adeyanju, has raised a fresh alarm over what he described as a blatant violation of the Abuja Master Plan following the illegal conversion of a designated green area into a residential estate in Maitama Extension, Abuja.
According to Adeyanju, investigations revealed that about 20 duplexes are currently under construction on a protected green area located around Ukachukwu Close, Maitama Extension—a zone originally reserved for environmental protection and flood control.
Even more disturbing, he disclosed that the developers, after realising there was no approved access road to the estate, have allegedly resorted to converting a natural drainage canal into a road, an action experts warn could trigger severe flooding and environmental disaster in the area during the rainy season.
“How do you fence off a green area and then proceed to destroy a natural water channel just to create access, all in the name of greed?” Adeyanju questioned.
He warned that blocking and altering natural water channels would have devastating consequences for Maitama Extension, a district already vulnerable to runoff during heavy rains.
The development, he said, raises serious questions about the role of the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Development Control Department, wondering how such a project could receive approval—or be allowed to continue—without intervention.
Adeyanju further alleged that the land, originally designated as a green area, was allocated for residential development during the tenure of Nyesom Wike, describing the move as a clear abuse of planning regulations.
“This is not just illegal; it is dangerous. It is a distortion of the Abuja Master Plan and a direct threat to lives, property, and the environment,” he stated.
He called on relevant authorities, environmental agencies, and civil society organisations to immediately halt the construction, reverse the land use, and hold all officials involved accountable to prevent what he described as an avoidable urban disaster.
