Tears as devt control bulldozer visits Kpaduma Village again

Idu Jude, Abuja

Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) at the weekend embarked on the demolition of structures within an “illegal settlement,” near the highbrow area of Kpaduma District, amid despair and weeping from the affected inhabitants of the place.

Accompanied by a strong joint team of security personnel, officials of its Department of Development Control (DDC), at the weekend stormed the settlement known as Mountain Village, located near Dantata Yard, just few metres away from the Nnamdi Azikiwe express way, with a bulldozer and ransacked the area.

They dismantled no fewer than 135 houses, purportedly developed by people who had encroached on the hill top area.

Equally demolished were kiosks and other structures being used for business and religious activities in the area.

Speaking during the exercise, the Acting Director of the Department, Mr. Mukhtar Usman Galadima, explained that the action was to ensure safety of lives and property in Kpaduma and environs.

He described the exercise as a timed operation, in furtherance to reinvigorated efforts at maintaining the sanctity of the Abuja Master plan.

He noted that prior to the demolition exercise, the department had adequately informed inhabitants of the place to remove their belongings and leave, since August 2016, with several follow up quit notices.

He therefore reiterated that removal of shanties and illegal settlements remains a continuous exercise, in order to ensure the development of the nation’s capital, in line with its Master plan.

“For their safety, we have to demolish all the structures within the place, so that they could move to places they can afford within approved settlements scattered around the FCT, where living conditions are better.”

“And, as far as we (officials of FCT Development Control Department) are concerned, removal of shanties and illegal settlements is a continuous exercise. So people are advised to only develop and settle in legal places,” Galadima stressed.

However, some affected persons expressed shock and anguish over the total destruction of their structures in the area, claiming that they were caught unaware by the action.

While some of the affected persons complained that they were not given notice before the demolition, others made a passionate appeal to the government for provision of an alternative land, to enable them to resettle their families.

One of the dislodged settlers, Mrs. Fatima Musa, a local food vendor, said the development has thrown her and family into serious state of despair, as she has no other place to relocate to.

According to her, the settlement was the only place I could afford for herself and her five children to stay within the FCT, given its proximity to the place she does her business.

“I’m a Nigerian woman, who sales food in front of Dantata and Sawoe Construction company, very close to this place. I use the money from my trade to train my children, since my husband died, leaving me behind to cater for my children.

“Yes, I’m aware that the settlement is illegal, but since is inside the bush, and there is no mark, showing that the land belongs to anyone, so many of us decided to live there.

“And now we are dislodged, I don’t know where to take my children to, and start all over again.

“I’m pleading with the government to help us with another place to relocate to, so as alleviate our sufferings,” she stated.

Also, a landlord in the ransacked settlement, Thomas Gabriel, noted that though they (FCTA officials) have been coming to the settlement since last year, to serve them with quit notices and reminders, but many didn’t know that the demolition exercise would actually go on.

He said: “We were actually given two months within which to take our belongings and leave the place. The grace period expired last month.

“Some people have already left the place, while some were still doing so and hanging around when the officials stormed the area for the demolition exercise.”