The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced its intention to demolish more than five hundred illegal structures in the Dutsen-Garki community of Apo District in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Director of the Department of Development Control, TPL Mukhtar Galadima, revealed this after engaging in dialogue with members of the Dutsen-Garki community on Wednesday.
Galadima expressed concern over the practice of individuals acquiring land from the natives without obtaining approval from the FCT Administration, stating that this was unacceptable.
Speaking through the Deputy Director of Monitoring and Enforcement, Hassan Ogbole, Galadima made it clear that the administration would not tolerate any land or structure without the necessary approval from the relevant authorities.
“The city is grappling with individuals acquiring land from natives without approval from the FCT Administration. This is unacceptable to the government, and it must not continue,” Galadima stressed.
“We have already carried out recent removals in some areas, and there are many other illegal settlements in line. For example, in Dutsen-Garki, where we just held a meeting, we have a pending removal to carry out because people are buying land from the natives and denying the original allottees their rights,” he added.
“As part of the FCTA reform agenda, we will consult with the natives before any removal to avoid catching them off guard.”
Galadima stated that officials from the department would spend two weeks marking the illegal structures before commencing the full-scale demolition exercise.
In his address, the Deputy Director of Monitoring and Enforcement of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, emphasized that these unlawful activities were negatively impacting the environment and could not be allowed to persist.
“Apart from the illegal expansion, people are also building in waterways, which is detrimental to the environment. If these illegalities are not addressed, they could lead to flooding and erosion,” Bello warned.
The Dutsen-Garki Community representative at the meeting, Mr. Danjuma Fanus, appealed to the FCT Administration for more time to rectify the situation.
“We urge the FCT Administration to grant us more time, as we have recently lost our chief. We will reach out to the officials of the administration before the deadline,” Fanus said.
