· FCTA vows to return with “full force”
Chaos was averted in the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday morning, when officials of the FCT Department of Development Control tactically withdrew from a planned demolition exercise at a community in Jabi District.
The officials, who were at the Magajipe village to remove structures erected under high tension powerlines, met heavy resistance as angry men and women trooped out to resist the exercise.
Despite the presence of armed policemen, who were part of the team, many of the villagers armed themselves with bottles, sticks, stones and other dangerous weapons ready to attack the officials.
Sensing the heightened tension in the area, the officials of Development Control Department along with the security personnel tactically withdrew from the area in order to avoid total breakdown of law and order.
Reacting to the development, the director of the department, Mukhtar Galadima, described the situation as very unfortunate and completely unacceptable by the administration.
He explained that the department earlier issued a vacation notice to those occupying illegal structures built under the powerlines.
Galadima stated that by the rules and regulations of urban and regional planning and Abuja Master Plan, the department would not allow any building under high tension, noting that the whole essence of government was to protect lives and properties.
“It is really unfortunate what happened here today and we decided to tactically withdrew to avoid causing more chaos and crisis. So, the best thing for us was to withdraw from the exercise pending when tension is down and then we adequately prepare then go back and do what is necessary.
“The operation is part of our weekend programme activities, where we sanitise the city particularly where we believe there are issues of security challenges or issue of hygiene and other aspects of urbanisation, so we try to move in.”
The director stated that the department was not trying to be high handedness rather making efforts to save lives and protect properties of citizens.
“But unfortunately, the occupants of the houses under the high tension both indigenes and non-indigenes, mobilized and try to challenge the authority but what needs to be done must be done.
“The essence of government is to protect lives and properties and by our rules and regulations we are not to allow any building under high tension we will do what is to be done and we will definitely do it.”
Communities seem to be forming alliance against demolition exercise, as a couple of the exercise have been marred with reports of violence attacks on officials.
For instance, earlier in May this year, a demolition exercise around the Gaduwa District of Abuja Municipal Area Council turned bloody when miscreants attacked members of the FCT taskforce on city sanitation injuring several of them in the process.
The hoodlums, while trying to resist the markings of illegal structures for demolition by officers of the Development Control attached to the taskforce, held some members of the team hostage and injured several others including a police officer.
Also in August 2021, hoodlums attacked the task team in Gwarinpa, injuring a military officer in the process.
The victim was injured by angry residents protesting the return of the team to enforce urban and regional environmental laws in illegal markets that were removed earlier.
In the same month, a similar exercise in Mpape community also turned chaotic when miscreants took advantage of the confusion and went about snatching women’s hand bags and cell phones.
The hoodlums were, however, immediately dispersed by the combined team of security personnel, paving way for motorists and other passers-by to ply the road freely.
