By Sarah NEGEDU
Bulldozers of the Federal Capital Territory Administration on Wednesday, stormed Gishiri Community in Katampe District, where they pulled down unplanned structures to reclaim lands for infrastructure development.
Authorities last visited the area for demolition in 2006, and since then, residents have continued to build on high power tension and water channels despite warning from the government.
Some of the affected persons who told our correspondent that the structures were marked between March and early May in 2023, however feigned ignorant of the several notices served them.
One of the female victims who don’t want her name mentioned, said, “I parked into this area in March, 2022 and just renewed my rent in March, 2023, which cost N400,000.00, where can I park to now? If I had known I wouldn’t have come to this area.”
Another affected person, who gave his name as James, said despite the abatement notice, most of them were not able to salvage their items as they never expected it to come through, due previous warnings that weren’t effected.
James, who complained that his family was now displaced, claimed that before the exercise, he owned eight one-bed room apartments which he rented out to people, and two bed room apartment, where he and his family occupied.
Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of FCT on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement Ikharo Attah, said the demolition was necessitated by the need to reclaim the place for infrastructure development.
He said the victims took advantage of the proximity of the area to the Federal Capital City and flouted the Abuja master plan rules, turning the area to haven for bad eggs.
Attah regretted that some of the unauthorized structures in the area were hideout for drug dealers and suspected criminals that terrorize mostly Maitama and Asokoro residents in the city.
“We came here today to attack the triple illegalities associated with squatter settlements, the criminals’ den inside the cashew plantation in Gishiri, where we recovered cocaine and other hard drugs.
“Although there were tears and lamentations, but we are not done yet as we just getting warm up in Gishiri, and this is the first time, the bulldozers came into Gishiri, since the days of Mallam Nasiru Ahmed El’rufai as FCT Minister.
“The team from Development Control is firing from all cylinders, even as those of us who are political appointees are going, we are sure that when we leave, the team on ground is set to continue the city clean up exercise”
The Director, Department of Development Control, Murkhtar Galadima after the demolition, said the exercise which is mother of all demolitions was to rid the city of illegal structures.
“The cleanup exercise is to rid the city of illegal structures. When you see demolition like this is because of the magnitude of illegal structures, in this particular area over 10 years ago we have been marking and removing but no headway but today we got a headway.
“This area is a water pipeline corridor coming from lower Usman Dam to various tanks in town, some of the buildings are on flood plain, this demolition is mother of all demolition because it contains everything. Any land that is not approved by development control is illegal, and therefore will be removed” he said.