11th January, 2022
By Salisu Sani-Idris
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday cleared shanties converted to residential and commercial purposes, mainly by scavengers, traders and settlers.
Most of the demolished shanties are scrap materials sitting on right of major road network around Angwan Berberi, off Efab Estate, and behind Kado Fish Market, near Life camp axis of Gwarimpa District of Abuja.
Also removed were Illegal settlers residence built with sacks inside an undeveloped plot beside the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Efab Road, by Adebowale Gas Station, in the area.
Addressing newsmen, Mr Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, said the exercise was necessitated by a complaint sent to the FCT Administration through Command and Control Centre.
Attah said that the FCTA discovered a very worrisome development on the road, which was Cadastral C02 road corridor in Gwarinpa, which people have built houses on.
“We cleared all the shanties and we have marked the houses, and warned people to be aware of two areas they must not build on- road corridors and waterways.
“We have given them enough time to move, some of them we have removed before, and they returned.
“Most of the Federal Capital Development Authority road corridors are transit ways not yet constructed, but people have already built on them.
“It is very worrisome when you see a beautiful road corridor that is yet to be constructed, and people are building on it, it is very disturbing.”
The minister’s aide appealed to residents not to allow people build kiosks and anything on the road within their neighbourhoods.
Commenting on the exercise, one of the owners of the houses in the area, who claimed to be a Barrister, but pleaded anonymity, disclosed that she had bought the land for which she spent not less than N3 million to develop the structure.
” We just finished, and we intended to pack in today; we actually spent about N3 million to set this building in this area.
“Actually no notice was given to us, and we acquired the land through the Chief of the village, at the rate of N220,000.00.