FCTA demolishes illegal settlement, shanties along rail corridor

The Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Special Ministerial Task Team has demolished illegal settlements behind the National Park and National Military Cemetery, along Airport Road, Abuja.

The settlement, named Ruga, was demolished while hundreds of shanties made from sacks, planks and scrap roofing sheets along the rail corridor were destroyed and set ablaze.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the task team, named “Operation Sweep” is headed by the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, and was directed by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to clean the city of all forms of nuisances and criminality.

The FCT Director, Security Service Department, Adamu Gwari, after the operation in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the Ruga settlement was characterised by shanties and other illegal structures built on peoples’ plots of land.

Gwari, who was represented by the Secretary of the FCT Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, pointed out that illegal structures harboured all kinds of criminal elements.

He said the site was close to the rail corridor, adding that their occupation of the area could pose security threats to residents using the Abuja Metro Line.

“You know we have had incidents of the rail tracks being vandalised. As such, demolishing the illegal structures would improve security on the rail corridor,” he said.

On the measures to ensure the illegal occupants do not return to the site, the director said Wike had already warned plot owners to develop them or the FCT Administration would revoke the allocations.

“Most of the plot owners have complained over time that they could not access the plots because of these shanties and criminal elements residing here. Some of them have tried to take over their plots but were attacked by the illegal occupants.

“Today, the FCTA has cleared the area and so, we advised them to immediately take possession of their plots of land and begin development,” he noted.

Reacting to the development, one of the dislodged settlers, Ibrahim Yusuf, said they had nowhere to go, adding that housing in the FCT was beyond their reach.

Yusuf, who described himself as the community’s secretary, said they had been living in the community for more than 20 years, adding that the community had been demolished more than 20 times, but they always returned and rebuilt.

“What they kept telling us is, ‘You people are living in an illegal area, so leave the place,’ but we have nowhere else to go, and we are not ready to leave Abuja.

“We are, therefore, appealing to the FCTA to resettle us. Whatever conditions the administration will give us, we are ready,” he said.

Before now, Wike had declared war on beggars, stating that enforcement agents would begin to apprehend beggars.

He said this during the official flag-off ceremony of the construction of an access road from Ring 1 by N16 to Judges’ quarters and roads within the quarters in the Katampe District of Abuja.

NAN