Residents of KYC Estate in Guzape District, Abuja, have petitioned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over what they described as continuous rock blasting and the planned filling of a drainage channel near their properties, warning that the activities have caused extensive damage to buildings and now threaten to trigger flooding in the area.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, representatives of the residents, Adango Jumbo and Prince Joseph Kpokpogri, said the blasting had continued despite a formal legal notice served more than a month ago and despite visible damage already acknowledged by the estate management.
Kpokpogri, whose property at Plot 1785, Cadastral Zone A09, Guzape District, has been the most affected, told journalists that the property “has for some time now been subjected to the effects of rock blasting activity carried out by parties operating in the vicinity.”
According to him, the blasting has led to “significant structural damage, including a collapsed and destroyed POP ceiling, shattered glass panels, cracked walls, and compromised windows and doors throughout the building.”
The residents also said the exercise had “generated persistent noise pollution and dust, disrupting the peaceful enjoyment of the property and, by extension, the health and wellbeing of its occupants.”
Their legal counsel, Ajunwa & Co., Solicitors & Advocates, had on 12 August 2026 written to the Chairman of KYC Estate, demanding “an immediate cessation of the blasting activity within two days of receipt.”
The letter, which cited violations of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Act, 1997, and was accompanied by photographic evidence of the destruction, also demanded compensation of N100 million for the damage sustained and “the physical and psychological distress caused to the occupants of the property.”
The residents said that following receipt of the notice, the chairman of KYC Estate sent personnel to the property to carry out repairs, including fixing the destroyed ceiling. They described the move as “a clear and implicit acknowledgment of the damage the blasting activity has caused, damage that is not in dispute, but veritable and plain to see.”
However, they lamented that the blasting itself had not stopped. “Its continuation raises serious concerns about accountability and the willingness of those responsible to engage constructively in resolving this matter,” the statement read.
Beyond the blasting, the residents raised alarm over the filling of a drainage canal directly behind their property. They linked the activity to Deansgate Trio Services Nigeria Limited, holders of an Offer of Statutory Right of Occupancy over Plot 1803, Cadastral Zone A09, Guzape, dated 29 October 2024.
The residents argued that the development ran contrary to the Minister’s “well-documented and repeated position against estate developers who encroach upon, cover, or build over canals, drainage channels, and designated green areas” across the territory. They recalled that Wike had previously ordered the demolition of an estate in Guzape for being illegally built on a green area.
“The filling of the canal behind our property, if allowed to continue unchecked, not only threatens to obstruct the natural passage of stormwater and increase the risk of flooding in the area, but also exposes the property and its surroundings to the very kind of regulatory action, including demolition, that the FCT Administration has consistently carried out against similar infractions elsewhere in the territory,” the statement said.
The residents called on Deansgate Trio Services Nigeria Limited and relevant regulatory authorities to urgently look into the matter. They insisted they would “not relent in seeking full redress for the damage caused and in ensuring that this activity is brought to a permanent end,” adding that they reserve the right to pursue all available legal remedies, including further court action, to protect their property and the wellbeing of the occupants.
Developer Responds
But the developer at the centre of the allegations, Mr Michael Auta Ayuba, dismissed the claims. He said he had been in the area long before the complainants arrived.
Ayuba said the blasting began in 2019, years before Kpokpogri and other residents settled in the area, and maintained that he had warned the newer residents to suspend work on their properties until he completed the exercise. According to him, they ignored the appeal.
He also defended the legality of his operations, saying he possessed all requisite approvals for the blasting, which he described as “controlled blasting” routinely supervised by relevant agencies, including security personnel.
On the allegation that he was encroaching on a waterway, Ayuba said he held a valid allocation from the FCT Administration and that the channel for the stream in question had been “well mapped out.” He described the area as a large expanse of land separated by a stream and not a canal.
