THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Saturday demolished over 134 makeshift buildings in Apo Akpmajenya community area of Abuja.
The ICIR learned the demolition which was carried out by the Ikharo Attah led FCT Task Force on City Sanitation, was to pave a way for road projects going on in the area.
Muktar Galadima, the FCT Director, Department of Development Control, told newsmen shortly after the demolition that the demolished houses were marked for demolition in January this year.
Galadima also noted that the FCT Administration has informed the owners and occupants of the demolished houses the need to vacate the area, which falls on one of the roads interchanging and linking Oladipo Diya and the Outer Southern Expressway (OSEX).
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Also, Nasiru Suleiman, the FCT Deputy Director, Department of Resettlement and Compensation, told newsmen that no fewer than 131 houses and 169 plots were given to members of the affected community as compensation.
Suleiman added that some of the occupants have moved to the Apo resettlement scheme provided by the FCT Administration.
He also said that the FCT Administration had provided a plot of land for Chief’s house, comprehensive development and commercial plots.
The Deputy Director, however, noted that a few of those compensated were yet to move the resettlement area
However, Baba Shehu Lawan, the FCT Director, Environmental Protection Board noted that the demolished area was generating environmental concerns for the FCT.
“The village is now occupied by commercial people who are mainly traders and they generate a lot of waste and those wastes are deposited even on the road,” he said.
He added that Akpmajenya village also constituted serious traffic gridlock on that axis due to its location at a junction of the Oladipo Diya road and Apo Mechanic Village road.
Contributing, Director, FCT Department of Security Services, Adamu Gwary, noted that the village also served as a criminal hideout, where most of the property stolen in Abuja, particularly cars were taken for sale.
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