• Wike sets up task force, probes directors over abuse of green areas

There is a highrisk of riverine flooding in Kaduna, Niger and 31 other states between August 19 and 25, 2026, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NiHSA) has warned.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has ordered an immediate ban on the conversion of green spaces, parks and gardens into commercial car dealership lots across Abuja.

The directive is part of measures by the FCT Administration to curb worsening flood incidents across the capital city, where the loss of designated absorption zones and recreational spaces has disrupted urban drainage systems.

In the warning contained in the agency’s latest seven-day flood advisory, the NiHSA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Umar Mohammed, urged communities living on floodplains, to relocate to safer, higher ground, while calling on state and local authorities to activate early-warning systems and emergency response measures.

According to Mohammed, rising river levels could trigger flooding in several locations during the period. The other states in the forecast include Taraba, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa and Benue.

There are also Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Plateau, Kaduna and Niger states.

NiHSA also identified communities and critical infrastructure exposed to flood risk across some of the affected states. In Kaduna State, the agency listed 2,006 communities, 453 schools, 69 health facilities, 12 markets and 213 religious buildings as exposed.

In Niger State, 898 communities, 524 schools, 268 health facilities, 12 markets, 318 religious buildings, and 23 hectares of farmland have been identified.

Among others, Delta State has 1,046 communities, 1,850 schools, 505 health facilities, 192 markets, 492 religious buildings and 16 hectares of farmland.

Meanwhile, Mohammed advised state and local councils to move people, livestock and valuables from floodplains to pre-identified higher ground.

He also urged authorities to mobilise early-warning volunteers, clear blocked drainage channels and water outlets, and pre-position relief materials, water-treatment supplies and first-aid equipment.

The agency further cautioned residents against crossing flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water, whether on foot or in vehicles, and urged communities to avoid construction and settlement on floodplains, while also monitoring NiHSA bulletins for updates on river levels.
Wike sets up task force, probes directors over abuse of green areas

Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, disclosed this in a statement yesterday, stating that the iconic public sites, including the Millennium Park, have recently been co-opted for unauthorised vehicle displays and related commercial operations.

To ensure full compliance, the FCT Administration has established a dedicated Task Force to monitor affected areas and enforce the immediate clearance of illegal car lots.

In addition to the operational ban, the minister has initiated an administrative probe into officials suspected of issuing illegal approvals for the commercial use of these protected areas.

Following the directive, FCT Head of Service, Nancy Nathan, has summoned several key officials – including the Directors of Parks and Recreation, Environmental Protection, Traffic Management and Urban Affairs – to account for the breach of urban planning regulations.