FCTA clears over 1,000 shacks, shanties in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has cleared over 1,000 shacks and illegal shanties obstructing the road corridor in Karsana, bordering the Bunkoro District in Gwarimpa.

The Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, made the disclosure on Monday, during a Citywide Sanitation Operation of the FCTA joint task force, targeted at squatters and “people of questionable character” who resided in the area.

Galadima further stated that the operation had avoided homes of indigenous inhabitants in the area, stating that the operation will continue until all 2-kilometers of the road stretch is completely cleared.

“Today’s exercise is carried out along the proposed Ring Road 3 corridor at the intersection of N16 and RR3, where we have the Map global Estate. You can see the shanties, squatters and people of questionable character. So, as part of the Citywide Sanitation exercise to enhance security, that’s why we are here today to continue as planned.

When you look at these structures, they are mostly made of shacks and temporary materials. So far so good, we have cleared more than 1,000 around this place, and we are about to continue, because the work is enormous and the stretch of the road is as long as 2 kilometres, all consisting of shacks and shanties.

“We have had a discussion with relevant authorities, who said that for now, the RR3 is not yet awarded, but the N16 has been awarded, and the work is in progress. We have been informed by the Department of Resettlement and Compensation that there are some indigenous communities on the corridor. That’s why we tried as much as possible not to interfere with the existence of such communities”.

The Director, however, said that further clearance activities will continue in collaboration with the Department of Resettlement to identify genuine properties belonging to indigenes.

For tomorrow’s exercise to be smooth, we want our representative of Resettlement and Compensation to be with us, so that they can guide us and which is the indigenous communities. And those that are not indigenous communities, we can excuse them and tell them to move on,” Galadima added.

The FCTA Director, Command and Control Unit, Peter Olumuji, representing the Director of Security, Adamu Gwary, said the operation highlighted the nexus between development control and security, adding that no arrests had been made in the course of the operations.

“Well, this Map Global Estate axis, which has other estates, has been a great source of concern for those residing within the estate. And you will know there is a nexus between development control and the security of their lives and property. And what we have seen here is that we noticed, because we have indigenous communities here, these criminal elements try to make shanties behind those indigenous communities to serve as a cover for their own shanties.

“And what we have done today, most of the residents that have passed through this place really praise the good effort of the FCT Administration. And like the Director has said, it is going to be a continuous clearance. We are not just going to leave it, we are going to take over this place,” he said.