By Daniel Tyokua
Jabi-Dakibiu residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have blamed the traditional ruler for deceiving them to buy unapproved lands in the area.
They accused the monarch during demolition of structures in Jabi-Dakibiu road corridor in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) by officials of FCDA, on Thursday.
Andrew Ayeme, narrated that the Chief deceived them into paying him N10,000 each in order to halt demolition exercise in the area.
Senior Special Assistant to Minister of FCT on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, who led the team decried the rate at which people encroach on road corridors in Abuja, and said the Minister was sad and would continue to reclaim the road corridor from the illegal squatters.
“We are in Jabi-Dakibiu, reclaiming the road corridor where people built and encroach upon. Land is exhaustible when people finish selling land , then they start selling the road corridor “.
While responding to the allegation raised by the residents that they contributed money to a Chief in order to convince FCT demolition team from removing their illegal structures.
Attah said, “It is a sad irony, once your place is marked for removal just pack and move to another place, no single indigene is here now. The FCT Minister Malam Muhammad Bello, has warned us over taking of bribe from anybody and today we have come to remove it and the person who collected the money am sure he is not here.
“Those who gave bribe are already weeping and trying to pack their things. I will advise them not to give bribe and not to build on the road coridor again.
“For those who contributed N10,000 each and gave to the Chief for onward transmission to us should go back to the Chief because we don’t take bribe “.
He said the indigene always denied selling land to them but what they sold to them were farm lands so he urged Abuja residents to stop buying lands from the locals.
One of those affected, Blessing who was in tears, said: “i just bought the house in January 2023 for N1.4million, from the former owner who has relocated abroad. I don’t have anywhere I to go, I was at work when my neighbor phoned me that they have demolished my house”.
Another victim, who identified his self as Esara , said he has been living in the area for 12 years, said his former place was demolished so he moved to Dakibiu to rent.
“When they came to mark, they told us they won’t come if we settle them, so we contributed N10,000 each per house which we gave to the vigilante to give to the Chief to help us talk to them.
“It is the Chief of Dakibiu that sells the land, he sell N150, 000 for one apartment”
