Residents and traders at the Utako Village in Abuja have condemned Wednesday’s demolition of their houses and shops by the development control department of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC).
They equally rebuffed the FCTA’s authorities claim that they were duly compensated before the exercise, insisting that none was paid a dime.
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Abdullahi Shuaibu, the head of Hausa community in the area, said he was engaged by the FCTA authorities in enumerating and demarcating the affected structures to be demolished weeks ago but is unaware of any compensation paid to the victims, saying more than 30 structures were destroyed including his three-bedroom house in the exercise.
He said his subjects are now living in agony not knowing where to relocate and start life again.
Ikechukwu Obi, chief of Igbo traders in Utako village, who claimed to have spent 15 years trading there, said he lost three shops and a two-bedroom flat to the demolition.
He said he couldn’t evacuate any material out of either his shops or house as police officers attached to the team chased him away.
He said, “yesterday, (Tuesday) when they came here they claimed that they paid compensation to the people; and I asked them to show us those compensated but they couldn’t.’’
Aliyu Tanimu, 53, who said that he spent almost 30 years residing in the village lamented how he lost a four-bedroom house and three shops as well as his entire school dossiers including a B.Sc. certificate during the demolishing as they were taken unaware.
The Department had yesterday said it would embark on the demolishing to pave way for the Nigerian Police force to develop the two-hectare land in the area, maintaining that there was negotiation and compensation to the people affected.
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