The FCT Taskteam on City Sanitation on Wednesday, reinforced its onslaught against illegal structures around the Durumi area of the territory, as several shanties were pulled down despite resistance by residents.
Members of the community have severally resisted the enforcement of sanitation and other uban and regional planning laws.
Recall that some miscreants had in May this year, attacked members of the taskforce who were on enforcement duties in the community.
The attack left a police officer with a broken head and other members of the team with various degrees of injuries.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, said the decision to revisit the community was to clear all shanties and places where criminal elements take refuge.
He added that the operations were part of the ongoing fight against insecurity in the city.
Our correspondent gathered that the illegal “Kasuwan Dare”, market located in the Asokoro District was also demolished for allegedly harbouring criminal elements that threaten the peace of residents within the neighbourhood.
According to Attah, while Durumi community was over due for thorough sanitation, the Asokoro illegal market was too notorious to be left in a highbrow district.
He said the FCT Administration remains committed to its resolve to spare houses belonging to indigenous people, however those who defiantly patronize illegal lands will be made to pay heavily for such negligence.
Attah said, “We removed some shanties and illegal structures around Durumi 3, to free the area of criminal activities.
“The chiefs have made some appeal that they will work with us to remove the illegal structures, and we are considering that. We want to have a clean FCT. We trust the chiefs to abide by what we have agreed on. We will continue to engage them and other area council officials.
“We have tried as much as possible to avoid touching houses belonging to indigenous people, because they have the right to be compensated and resettled.
“In Asokoro we have gotten lots of complaints that criminal elements gather here and attack not only VIPs, but other Nigerians.
“Even indigenous people have complained that they have been robbed by criminals from the Kasuwan dare. That is why we are clearing the place.”
