By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Thursday dislodged more illegal structures behind the old Federal Secretariat in Area I.
This is in continuation of its demolition of shanties across the territory.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister, Ikaro Attah who led the combined security team and FCTA officials on the demolition, warned people to desist from buying land from Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, in Abuja.
Fielding questions from journalists after the demolition, Attah said it was quite unfortunate that people were buying land from IDPs.
Recall that few IDPs stay near the fence of the old Federal Secretariat where they gradually sale the green areas to desperate people.
He lamented that it was quite painful that as much as N100,000 is paid to buy land in a place that is full of snakes and other reptiles.
According to Attah, “We came back today to continue with the clean up, because Senator Ali Ndume appealed to us to allow them to pack up their things. We all agreed that they should clear up the place.
“I can’t really estimate how many illegal structures were removed today but the work continues. Many of these structures have been here for many years.
“These structures are built on swamps and water bed and within fence.
“What is very painful is that you cannot come here, until at the peak of the dry season, even our machines here are sinking and despite the fact that there has not been rain for over four months, so you can imagine if it were during rainy season, that means once there is a single rain fall you cannot access this place.
“The fact that people pay from N30,000 to N100,000 to buy land here is very painful and it does not make it genuine, it is very wrong. The fact that you have been staying here for long and the swamp is giving you cover from the machine doesn’t make it right” he said.
