FCTA Clears 15,000 Illegal Occupants In Gwarinpa

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, has demolished illegal buildings and shanties in Gwarinpa, removing over fifteen thousand illegal occupants in the area.

FCT Director, Development Control, Muktar Galadima, who led the team on the enforcement, explained that the illegal shanties were causing obstruction in the execution of the arterial N16 road, from the Federal Secretariat, through Maitama, Katampe, Jahi to Gwarinpa.

He said the road has been awarded and the Engineering Department of the FCTA was ready to begin construction on the road as soon as the demolition was completed.

“This location that we are on is a road corridor, its 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.

“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.

“Well, they are being relocated somewhere else, but we have over 10 to 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”.

The Secretary, FCT Command and Control Center, Dr Peter Olumuji, said the demolition would bring about better security for those residing in Gwarimpa and its environments.

According to him, the shanties poses security threat, as it harbours some criminal elements.

“The shanties we have here that you have seen physically, harbours a lot of criminal elements that have been terrorising Gwarinpa and its environments. You have issues of illicit drug dealing, you have issues of rape of the girl child, you have issues of different kind of armed robbery suspects that have been arrested within. ” Olumiji said.

By Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji