By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has defended the ongoing demolition of shanties and illegal settlements in parts of the city, insisting that the move was a security operation to dismantle a criminal hideouts.
Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who led Thursday’s clearance operation around the cashew plantations in Cadastral Zone E27, Apo Resettlement, said that the exercise was not an attempt to evict the poor for the benefit of wealthy residents.
He explained that the latest in a string of operations under the city-wide sanitation programme is aimed at removing illegal structures and curbing crime in identified “dark spots” across Abuja.
Speaking to journalists at the site, Galadima said intelligence reports and past incidents justified the exercise. He recalled that the area had been cleared several times before but quickly reoccupied, and promised that this time, the Administration would adopt a more permanent solution.
“This is part of the continuation of the city sanitation exercise to rid the city of criminal elements. This place has been identified as one of the notorious dark spots. In the past, we made efforts to clear it, but this time around we came to do a total clearance.
“This is something that there are credible and verifiable security and intelligence reports about. Instances where some people were even killed around this place. For the fact that this place was identified as a dark spot, it’s enough for this exercise to continue.
“We will make sure we clear this place once and for all. Unlike before that we just come and push the shanties, this time we are going to remove everything and even fence the place,” Galadima added.
When confronted with claims from some affected residents that the police were aware of their activities and even cooperated with them, Galadima insisted that the location’s criminal reputation could not be ignored.
He advised the displaced persons to seek “decent accommodation” within the Apo Resettlement town or elsewhere in the FCT, stressing that the cleared site was unsuitable for habitation even from a health perspective.
On allegations that clearances often target poor communities to favour affluent neighbours, the Director maintained that, “People must complain. People must say something about the exercise. But our goal is to rid the city of criminal elements in order to enhance the security of the FCT.”
Also addressing reporters, the Director of Security, Adamu Gwary, described the action as a preventive measure to secure Apo Resettlement and its surroundings.
The director who was represented by the Secretary, Command and Control, Dr. Peter Olumuji, said “Even before we came here, we carried out a detailed survey of the environment to identify criminal incidents within this place and how these cashew plantations have been a converging point for criminal elements.
“Yes, some people residing here might not be criminals, but when you have unplanned settlements and shanties like this, criminal elements come here to strategise before attacking residents. Are we going to prioritise the economic value of a cashew tree over threats to life and property? The safety of residents comes first because only someone who is alive can enjoy any economic value,” he added.
Olumuji said police statistics showed the site was linked to multiple crimes, including illicit drug peddling, armed robbery and housebreaking.
“Some few weeks ago, over 50 armed robbers came here to attack residents. The quick response from the FCT Police Command and sister agencies prevented that attack from snowballing. Before that, a medical personnel was killed in an incident connected to this area,” he said.
According to him, while not all occupants were criminals, the lack of proper profiling of those moving into the area created a security loophole that criminal gangs exploited. He also pointed out that the site was a designated green area, not approved for residential use.
However, several displaced persons rejected the narrative, insisting they were law-abiding citizens making an honest living.
Stanley Andrew Ekoja, a shop owner and community leader said the squatters are organised with a leadership structure and a security task force who report every negative character to the security agencies.
In their defence, he said, “The police are aware of what we are doing here. We sell drinks, food, run small businesses. This is how we feed our families. We are not criminals. The only thing is that we are not captured in the system. If we were, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Ekoja described the demolished cluster as a social and economic hub for local artisans. “If you look at Apo settlement entirely, it’s a place where workmen like plumbers, iron benders, carpenters, operate. After work, we come here to relax. The big men here also come here to find artisans. Now that this place has been demolished, where will the worker go to relax, and where will people find us?” he asked.
Another resident, David Mark, appealed for jobs instead of evictions. “We don’t have money to rent a house. People come here to find workers, why are they pursuing us now? We are not criminals. My demand is employment. We need jobs. Look at the youth here, no work,” he said.
