Home Feature FCDA demolition squad storm Abuja suburbs, pull down illegal structures

FCDA demolition squad storm Abuja suburbs, pull down illegal structures

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A demolition team made up of officials of the Department of Development Control, Federal Capital Territory Administration, with support from security agencies, have started pulling down illegal structures in the FCT satellite towns.

The exercise, which commenced on Wednesday, involved the pulling down of perimeter fences and part demolition of residential buildings in Chikakore, Kubwa District of the Bwari Area Council.

A member of the demolition squad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said sufficient notices were served on owners of the affected buildings in the area.

He said, “This area is designated as a cemetery in the master plan; that has not changed. When we saw people putting up illegal structures on it, we came and served a notice to quit on those putting up the structures.

“On February 22, 2018, we served the demolition notice, which we are executing today.”

It was gathered that the demolition took some of the residents by surprise, as most of them were at work when the team arrived with bulldozers around 11am.

The officials, without asking questions, reportedly went to a house, which they had earlier marked for demolition, and began pulling down the fence.

An eyewitness, Mallam Nasir Abdulkarim, said he was on his way to the farm when he saw three FCTA vans and a bulldozer driving towards the area.

He stated, “The few people around gathered and started begging the officials, who were accompanied by police escorts, but their pleas did not move the officials.

“Two buildings, which are already being occupied, were partially demolished as a woman and some children were heard screaming from that building (pointing to a partly demolished duplex); the bulldozer just pulled down a part of the fence and made a hole in the wall of the living room.

“They did the same to that house (pointing to another building)”.

However, a makeshift church was not as lucky as it was completely brought down.

Soon after the demolition team left, scavengers, who were waiting in the wings, took over and began searching for pieces of iron and other metals, which they intend to re-sell

Attempts to get a response from the spokesperson, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, Mrs Grace Zamani, were futile as calls to her mobile telephone number were neither picked nor returned.

A text message sent to her mobile line on the subject was also not replied to as of the time of filing this report. Punch

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