FCTA demolishes 134 houses in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished 134 houses in the Apo Akpmajenya community, Abuja to allow for the construction of a major road network in the area.

This was confirmed by Chairman, FCT Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation, Mr Ikharo Attah who coordinated the exercise.

Mr. Attah said that the minister, Malam Muhammad Musa is desirous of safeguarding the fidelity of the Abuja Master Plan.

According to him, the Administration satisfied all the requirements of the law before carrying out the exercise.

Director, Department of Development Control, Malam Muhktar Galadima, who explained that the community was earlier marked for demolition in January, 2020, added that relevant agencies of government had engaged the residents and sensitized them on the need to leave the area as it falls within the corridor of the Outer Southern Express Way OSEX and one of the road interchanges linking Oladipo Diya, which is an arterial road with the outer Southern expressway, The Vanguard reports.

He said plots of land were also provided to serve as the Chief’s Palace, comprehensive development and commercial plots, and that most of them had already moved to the Apo Resettlement Quarters while few others are yet to do so, The Vanguard reports.

On his part, the Director, Abuja Environmental Protection Board AEPB, Malam Baba Lawan said the community had been a source of concern to the board as 80 per cent of activities therein were mainly commercial due to the fact that it is not a traditional Gbagyi village.

“The village is now occupied by commercial people who are mainly traders and they generate lots of waste and those wastes are deposited even on the road.”