Residents of Karu in the Abuja Municipal Area Council have been without public water supply for more than a year, a crisis they attribute to the construction of a major road project. According to AllAfrica, the disruption began in June 2025 when contractors relocated water pipes to facilitate the roadworks. Although the road was completed and commissioned, the water network has not been restored, leaving households in several neighborhoods without running water.
The project was executed by Abduval Ltd under the supervision of the Satellite Towns Development Department of the Federal Capital Territory Administration. Residents identified specific areas affected by the outage, including the roundabout near the Karu Police Station, Doma Way by the EFCC Academy, Peshe Street, and Karu Village. They cited the failure to reconnect relocated pipes, poor reticulation, and the lack of protective chambers around control valves as primary reasons for the ongoing scarcity.
Comrade Godfrey Akalonu, a resident of Karu Site for over 40 years, told AllAfrica that the area had enjoyed public water for approximately 25 years prior to the disruption. He stated that the contractor had assured residents the pipes would be reconnected after the roadwork finished. "It's not been easy for us," Akalonu said, noting that families now rely on water vendors who charge N2,000 per truckload. This cost is unsustainable for many, particularly those with large families.
The financial burden has significantly impacted daily life. Retired civil servant Dike Amechi reported that households spend between N12,000 and N14,000 weekly to purchase water. He expressed concern that some vendors source water from streams, posing health risks. Amechi appealed to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene, urging the government to ensure the contractor completes the outstanding work and hands over the facilities to the Water Board.
The contractor’s representative acknowledged the complaints to AllAfrica, stating that some affected pipes would be fixed soon. He mentioned that community representatives had been persuaded to remain calm after threatening protests. However, the FCT Water Board and the Satellite Towns Development Department have not provided detailed responses. The Water Board’s Area Manager in Karu declined to comment, while an STDD official promised to contact the resident engineer for a response but had not done so by the time of reporting.