A growing environmental crisis is unfolding in the Unguwar Abattoir extension of Abaji, headquarters of the Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where worsening gully erosion has forced residents from their homes and placed several more at risk.
For over eight years, locals have watched as the erosion gradually devoured portions of the community. Today, that danger has reached a critical level. Several homes have already been lost, while many others now sit precariously close to collapsing soil.
One of the victims, Mr. Ayuba Danjuma, whose four-bedroom residence gave way two weeks ago, said he had made repeated efforts—alongside his neighbors—to control the erosion by purchasing stones and other materials. However, these community-led initiatives proved insufficient in the face of intensifying environmental conditions.
“Since I moved into my home over a decade ago, we’ve tried to manage it ourselves,” he said. “But this year, the erosion expanded too quickly. Eventually, the house just collapsed.”
Danjuma and others claim they’ve submitted multiple appeals to the Abaji Area Council, seeking urgent intervention. Meetings with local leaders, including the community head, yielded assurances but little action.
Another affected resident, Mr. Yakubu Baba Kaura, echoed similar concerns. According to him, the erosion—active for nearly a decade—has already displaced multiple families and is now threatening to sever access to the nearby market and road.
“The culvert is barely hanging on. If this continues during the rainy season, the entire access road could be washed away,” Kaura warned.
In the neighboring community of Unguwar Rafin Sahara, residents face a similar threat. Locals report that six houses have already been compromised due to unchecked water flow and the absence of effective drainage infrastructure.
A resident, Shuaibu Ibrahim, pointed to the lack of culverts as the primary reason behind the erosion’s spread. “When it rains, the water overflows straight into people’s homes. That’s how the erosion keeps expanding.”
The unfolding situation underscores a larger concern about infrastructure neglect in the outer zones of the FCT. Despite consistent warnings and grassroots-level advocacy, residents say meaningful government action has yet to arrive.
With the rainy season underway, affected communities are renewing calls for emergency intervention, warning that continued delay could result in further displacement, road disconnections, and potentially tragic consequences.
