By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration on Friday demolished makeshifts and squatter settlements at Okanje district in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The operation which is in continuation of the administration’s clean up exercise across the territory followed several warnings and notices from the Department of Development Control.
Mukhtar Galadima, Director FCT Department of Development Control, said the officials had meetings with both Community leaders and the affected people to vacate the illegally acquired lands before the bulldozer hit the area.
The lands were meant for planned development in line with the Abuja Master plan, had been illegally taken over by people with the help of some indigenous people.
One of the affected illegal occupants of the land, who simply identified herself as Mrs. Osage bemoaned the reality of the demolition threat.
The woman who was picking her personal belongings from the debris with tears, disclosed that the indigenous people deceived them into acquiring the land.
She also said, that after the place was marked for demolition, they were deceived again to contribute money to stop the planned exercise.
She noted, ” what happened is that on the 12 of April, this year, some people came here and started marking some buildings and we tried to find out why they were marking for demolition and putting notices, but they didn’t answer us and until they finished they left.
“Since that time we didn’t hear from them again, in our mind we thought when such notification is given it will take between 2-3 months before they will come back and give final notification but that wasn’t the case, we were surprised to see them this morning removing structures, most of the owners of the houses have gone to work, they will come back from work and meet no house to enter”, she added.
