FCT on high flood alert as fire service warns against practices that worsen flooding

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been placed on high flood alert from 27 September to 10 October 2026, and the Federal Fire Service has named the everyday practices it says make flooding worse, Vanguard and ThisDay reported.

The National Flood Early Warning Systems Centre, under the Federal Ministry of Environment, issued the alert on Monday, 28 September. It lists Abuja Municipal, Asokoro, Bwari, Garki, Gwagwalada, Gwarinpa, Kubwa, Kuje, Maitama, Nyanya and Wuse among the areas at risk.

The Controller of the Federal Fire Service FCT Command, Muhammed Anas, called for heightened vigilance in low-lying areas, along riverbanks and in communities with poor drainage. The Command’s spokesman, Superintendent of Fire Barnabas Anyam, named the practices that worsen flooding:

• dumping refuse in drains and waterways
• building on floodplains and drainage channels
• covering drains with kiosks or shops
• sand dredging and excavation near rivers
• building without approved plans
• poorly built roads and culverts that block water flow

Residents were advised not to cross flooded roads or bridges, to keep children away from floodwater and open culverts, and to switch off appliances in flooded areas. They were also warned not to drink floodwater, which may be contaminated, and to move to higher ground if water rises.

Residents in distress can call the Federal Fire Service FCT Command emergency line on 0803 200 3557, the service said.