Over 15,000 displaced as FCTA demolishes buildings, shanties in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished what it called illegal buildings and shanties in Gwarinpa, with over 15,000 occupants affected.

The Director of the Department Development Control of the FCT, Muktar Galadima, who supervised the exercise, explained that the illegal buildings obstructed arterial Road N16 that ran from the Federal Secretariat through Maitama, Katampe, Jahi to Gwarinpa.

He said that the engineering department of the FCTA was ready to begin construction on the road as soon as the demolition was completed, adding that the project had already been awarded.

“This location is a road corridor, it’s an arterial road that is called N16, but on the other side of the city, this is the road that is named the Shehu Shagari Way. So, it starts from the Federal Secretariat, through Maitama, Katampe, Jahi and then to Gwarinpa.

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‘’As I said, these are structures that were illegally built on the road corridor. That is why we are coming to remove them because, engineering department will start the road construction right away. That is why we have to remove the obstacles that are preventing them from the road construction.”

He said some of the victims are being relocated to some other places but noted that, ‘”We have about 15,000 people who are staying here illegally.”

“As we are clearing now, engineering is already on standby. The contract has been awarded. They are on standby, they wrote to us that they want us to clear this corridor for them, so that the road construction can commence. So, they will not come back to this place again,” he added.

The Secretary, FCT Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, also told newsmen that the demolished shanties had become notorious for harbouring criminals, adding that the demolition would bring about better security for those residing in Gwarimpa and its environs.