Anguish as FCDA demolishes shanties in Utako Village

After months of serving notices of demolition to residents of illegal structures in Utako Village, a shanty in Abuja’s Utako District, Federal Capital Development Authorities has demolished houses in the village. Bulldozers backed by armed security rolled into the area on Wednesday to demolish at least 50 houses, leaving hundreds homeless. By Wednesday morning, former […]

After months of serving notices of demolition to residents of illegal structures in Utako Village, a shanty in Abuja’s Utako District, Federal Capital Development Authorities has demolished houses in the village.

Bulldozers backed by armed security rolled into the area on Wednesday to demolish at least 50 houses, leaving hundreds homeless.

By Wednesday morning, former residents were still in the area, their belongings stacked in heaps on the roadside.

Others were seen loading their belongings into lorry backs for movement.

The Director, Department of Development Control, Muhktar Galadima while addressing journalists during the operation said they have marked structures, and sensitized the community before carrying out the operation.

He said that some of the affected people were allowed to do self-removal which some of them have complied.

He said, “We have an understanding, they help us to go round the illegal structures or non-indigenous structures, particularly batchers and shanties, that has become more or less a security challenge as well as an environmental nuisance.”

Asked on how the government planned to hinder them from returning to the demolished site, he said, “There is a strategic and comprehensive plan to take over this village.”

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Task Force Chairman Ikharo Attah said people should avoid buying land from local chiefs.

He said, “A lesson everyone will take from this operation that the director development control led all of us to is the fact that if you are not given a place, do not buy land from local chiefs, if you look at what is happening here today, some houses are going while some houses are left.”

It was observed that structures that were left standing after the demolition belong to the inhabitants of the FCT.

He stressed that the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello is desirous of safeguarding the fidelity of the Abuja Master Plan.

“Stay away from buying lands that are not approved by the FCT, don’t put structures that are not approved by the development control department, if you do that the bulldozers and the caterpillars will come close to you and bring down the structures,” he added.

Some former residents of the shanty have moved into a building still standing near the site before it can be brought down.

Officials say the building failed “test of integrity.”

“The houses are based on test carried out by the director and his team, the houses failed the test of integrity,” said Bello.

“We now have stronger political will to bring it down, they are packing into the building that failed test, so we have warned them that that building you are rushing into, had failed test, don’t go in there, so that in the advent it collapses, you can’t come and blame government, go to a safer place.”

Danjuma Daniel Dabyni, the head of the Utako Village, said, “I am here with the demolition notice; which I know they so far gave us. We cried to them that we are not yet resettled, and they told us it was because of the security purpose and we agreed and understood because of what is happening in our country.”

One of the residents, Abdullahi Salisu, who has been in Utako Village for 15 years, said the day was unforgettable.

“As I am talking to you, I have five brothers with me, we don’t know where to go from here. We don’t know where to sleep. Some of our goods are destroyed. They gave us one day notice,” he said.

“Because of too many crises, problems I now vacate to Abuja, I feed my family here, I earn a living here. I make my life from this Utako village with my family, parents and everybody,” said Abdullahi.