Lokogoma estate: FCTA issues quit notice to owners of houses on waterways

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has given two weeks’ ultimatum to residents of Ipet-5 Estate in Lokogoma district, in Abuja, whose buildings are along water ways and road corridors, to vacate the areas.

Handing down the ultimatum during an unscheduled visit to the estate recently, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) permanent secretary, Chinyeaka Ohaa, stated that after the ultimatum, the FCTA would move in and demolish all structures along the corridors.

Ohaa explained that the buildings to be removed by the administration, after the ultimatum, are structures built on 20 meters from both sides of the river, adding that the buildings along the waterways and road corridors, in the estate, are the cause of the perennial flooding in area.

He disclosed that the buildings were built without approval from the administration, adding that the owners of the buildings were given allocations by the administration on where to build, but frowned that they have left the original allocations to build on waterways and on road corridors.

The chairman of Lokogoma 11 Residents Association, Stanley Ugwu, said most of the affected buildings were bought from the developers, adding that the owners of the buildings never believed that due diligence were not conducted before the building were sold to them.

Ugwu appealed to the FCTA to assist the affected building owners to get compensation from the developers, adding that it is only the administration that could enforce such action.