Chairman of the Forum of Former Enugu State House of Assembly Members and former Southeast spokesman for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Josef Onoh, has blamed the flooding in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on illegal developments along waterways and called for urgent federal intervention.

Heavy rainfall on Monday left several parts of Abuja submerged, with videos circulating online showing stranded vehicles and roads overtaken by floodwaters.

Onoh, who previously served as Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), said the flooding went beyond heavy rainfall, describing it as “the direct result of reckless development and the criminal encroachment of our waterways.”

He warned that Abuja risks sliding into a full-scale environmental crisis if immediate action is not taken.
According to him, he had raised similar concerns last year over the systematic blockage of natural water channels within the FCT, but his warnings were ignored.

Onoh called on President Tinubu to direct the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to urgently conduct a comprehensive audit and mapping of all encroached waterways and floodplains in the territory.

He also recommended the revocation and demolition of illegal structures built on waterways, large-scale desilting and rehabilitation of drainage systems in vulnerable districts, as well as strict enforcement of environmental protection laws to prevent further encroachment.

The former ECTDA chairman offered to provide his expertise free of charge to assist with the demolition exercise, citing his experience managing a similar agency in Enugu State.

“If urgent attention is not given to this matter, not only will FCT residents soon resort to using boats to access different parts of the city after every rainfall, but critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public buildings and utilities, will be in danger. Most importantly, human lives will continue to be at grave risk,” Onoh said.

Flooding has become a recurring challenge in several parts of Abuja during the rainy season, with urban planners frequently linking the problem to poor drainage systems and widespread construction on floodplains.