The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the alleged conversion of Abuja’s green areas, drainage corridors and waterways, warning that unchecked development could worsen flooding and put residents at greater risk.

HURIWA’s call followed a petition received from a concerned resident alleging that about 20 duplexes are being constructed on a designated green area in Maitama Extension. The resident also alleged that the developers were seeking to convert a canal into an access road after discovering that the proposed estate had no proper access route.

In a statement yesterday, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the allegation was particularly disturbing against the backdrop of recent flooding in several parts of Abuja, where floodwaters reportedly affected homes and roads.

Onwubiko warned that obstructing natural water channels or constructing on designated drainage corridors could restrict stormwater flow and worsen flooding during heavy rainfall, exposing surrounding communities to greater danger.

He called for an immediate investigation into the alleged development and urged the FCT Administration to disclose who allocated the land, its approved purpose, who authorised the development and whether the project obtained the required planning and environmental approvals.

Onwubiko said that if the allegations were established, such development would constitute a dangerous distortion of the Abuja Master Plan and a threat to public safety.

He stressed that Abuja’s green areas, parks, drainage corridors, canals and waterways were deliberately incorporated into the city’s master plan to preserve ecological balance and provide natural channels for stormwater.

“Recent flooding in Abuja has given renewed urgency to these concerns. These spaces are not empty lands waiting to be converted into luxury estates. They are part of the infrastructure that keeps Abuja safe and functional,” he said.

Onwubiko acknowledged the FCT Administration’s position that flooding had occurred in Abuja before the current administration and could be linked to rapid urbanisation, inadequate drainage infrastructure, waste disposal and other factors.

However, he said previous flooding could not justify any current development capable of aggravating the problem.

He therefore urged the FCT Administration to make public the status of the alleged Maitama Extension development and suspend any construction found to be taking place on a protected green area or drainage corridor pending investigation.