FCTA demolishes over 300 shanties in Abuja community

By Ukpono Ukpong

FCT Administration has demolished over 300 shanties, in a bid to address issues of security challenge as well as restore sanitation within the nation’s capital.

Speaking to journalists during the exercise, the Director, Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the location of the illegal settlement was very strategic, considering the security implication of shanties along the rail corridors.

“This is in continuation of implementation of the FCT mandate of the next level by ensuring that we checkmate the issue of security challenges as well as bringing orderliness and sanitation to the nation’s capital city environment.

“So far (today) we have cleared over three hundred shanties (temporary structures made of batchers and sacks.

“The work (demolition) is ongoing, so we will continue till the end.

“On whether the affected persons were fully notified and engaged before the exercise, Galadima said “yes, we had a series of consultations with them, because, in the spirit of the current administration, we don’t just move in, we do some engagements and consultations so that the people would be fully aware.

“And that’s what we have done with the community here.”

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To ensure that the displaced persons don’t return and erect new structures, he said “We are going to make some investigations, so as to know what the land is meant for, if its allocated, but if it’s not allocated to anyone, what is the intention of the FCTA over this land, then we can tell the relevant authorities or department to take over and do what is necessary.

“We are going to sustain the effort, because we are not going to abandon the place, that’s why in the next two weeks we will come back, and if we discover that they are back to the place, we will come and do what is necessary”.

On his part, the Chief Security Officer to the FCT Minister, Ahmed Rashid, said that based on security assessment, more than 90per cent of the crimes perpetrated in Wuye and Kukwuaba districts are from the illegal shanty settlement.