By Daniel Tyokua
The officials of FCT Ministerial Task Team on City Sanitation has explained why natives’ houses were spared during the demolition of illegal structures at Zamani village near Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah after pulling down of illegal structures at the community on Tuesday, said the indigene houses were left out because they were living in Abuja, before the creation of the capital city.
He explained that the demolition followed increasing criminal activities around Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport which is near the village.
Attah who led other officials on the operation, disclosed that over 500 illegal houses were pulled down.
The Director, FCT Department of Development Control, Murkhtar Galadima told journalists at the venue that the operation is part of the ongoing demolition of illegal and tents in the city, where suspected criminals hide.
He also cleared air on the alleged bribing of staff of FCTA, according to him, nothing will stop them from doing their job.
In his words: “We are demolishing illegal structures all over Abuja. There are over 500 illegal houses that we demolished at Zamani, today alone.
“It is only indigenous houses that were spared, whether you give someone money, it doesn’t matter, that is why I said it is not true, even those we marked some people tried to cover up our markings and we removed those structures.We haven’t finished the exercise and we will finish it tomorrow” Galadima said.
However, one of the victims, Ganiyu Musa lamented about being treated as a second class citizen.
“I bought from the community Chief, and I believe a community Chief have some rights to sell small land . When they came they didn’t mark my house, they didn’t touch my house, I was not at home. Nobody talked to anybody I wasn’t around and they demolished my house as if am not a Nigerian.
