Wike blames “Strong winds” for Abuja bus terminal damage

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says the damage to the roof of the Kugbo Bus Terminal in Abuja was caused by unusually strong winds, insisting that the structure did not collapse.

Speaking to journalists on Monday, Wike defended the contractor responsible for the Kugbo Bus Terminal following a storm that tore off parts of the facility’s roof in Abuja.

“The structure never collapsed. The kind of wind we saw, we never imagined. The wind blew off the roof sheets, and it was steel that was used — that tells you how powerful the wind was,” he said.

A heavy rainstorm on April 7, 2026, ripped off sections of the terminal’s roofing, scattering debris across the busy Abuja–Keffi expressway and causing major traffic gridlock along the Kugbo–Nyanya corridor.

The terminal, part of a multi-billion naira transport project aimed at modernising public transport in the capital, had been commissioned in 2025 but is yet to commence full operations.

Wike explained that the location of the terminal—situated on elevated ground in Kugbo—may have contributed to the impact of the windstorm.

“That bus terminal in Kugbo is on top of the hill… and it’s higher than most buildings there,” he added.

The minister also ruled out sanctioning the contractor, insisting that the extent of the damage did not warrant punitive action.

“Why would I sanction [the contractor]? The entire building did not collapse. It was just nature. It happens even outside the country,” he said.