By Daniel Tyokua
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah on Monday, said the multiple structures without approval in Kuje, a suburb of Abuja make the area unsafe.
He said the level of encroachment in the area was unbecoming and need stringent measures to tackle it.
Attah stated this when he led a combined security team to demolish illegal structures at Kuje, a suburb of Abuja.
“The extreme contravention in Kuje makes the area unsafe, illegal settlements due to the extreme road encroachment, road side trading, encroachment of rail corridors, and other violations “
He explained that demolition of the illegal structures was in continuation of the ongoing measures to halt proliferation of illegal shanties in the city, purportedly obstructing human and vehicular movements in the area,.
“This demolition is coming after months of sensitisation and abatement notices from relevant authorities and endorsement of Kuje stakeholders”
Officials of the FCTA supported by heavy security team drawn from the military, Police and para-military agencies stormed the area at about 10 AM and cleared road side encroachments from the notorious tipper garage to the Kuje main market.
During the clean-up that lasted for about seven hours, cleared hundreds of structures ranging from kiosks, containers, attachments to stores and worship centres, shanties and sign posts encroaching on the road corridors.
He, however said the exercise is based on the Minister’s directive and under the guidance of police Commissioner, Sunday Babaji and other security heads in the Territory
Attah added that the Minister has not been comfortable with the nature of Kuje, as the extreme contraventions in multiple places in Kuje, makes the area very unsafe, illegal settlements, due to the extreme road encroachment, road side trading, encroachment of rail corridors, and other contravention in Kuje.
According to him, the clean-up would be a week long exercise, as Kuje has been very worrisome in some areas of insecurity.
