Mpape: Living in fear of demolition

Sunday Yahaya, an original inhabitant of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been living under tension and apprehension for over four years as the future of the only place he calls home hangs in the balance. Yahaya lives in Mpape, one of the fastest growing and most densely populated urban slums in the FCT.  The […]

Sunday Yahaya, an original inhabitant of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been living under tension and apprehension for over four years as the future of the only place he calls home hangs in the balance.

Yahaya lives in Mpape, one of the fastest growing and most densely populated urban slums in the FCT. 

The slum, sits on an undulating landscape north of Maitama, a highbrow area in Abuja, is home to hundreds of thousands of low income earners who work in the city centre.

Due to its proximity to the city centre, some refer to the community as Maitama Extension, though it is a complete opposite of the opulent district. 

Densely populated, the community has several phases, prominent among which are Ajegunle, Berger Yard, Masafa Road and Unguwar Rimi. 

Yahaya said, he wakes up everyday with the fear that at any moment bulldozers  would roll over his shack. He said he was delighted at the High Court ruling that stopped the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from demolishing the community.

The judgment appeared to be the climax of a protracted legal tussle that has made the residents to live on edge for over four years going through three courts in the territory.

A statement from Amnesty International recalled that in July 2012 the Federal Capital Development Authority Department of Development Control served Mpape residents with notices to quit without having first conducting adequate consultation or offering any alternative options, accommodation or compensation; contrary to the requirements of international law.

The Mpape Residents Community Development Association (MRCDA) said the community covering 400 hectares with over 60, 000 houses and hundreds of thousands of residents would have been affected by the planned demolition. 

Justice Abubakar Kutigi of the FCT High Court sitting in Apo in his judgment declared the planned demolition illegal and unlawful thereby stopping officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) from going ahead with the plan. 

 The counsel to the plaintiff, Sola Egbeyinka said: “The court gave its judgment to the effect that there cannot be a demolition in the Federal Capital Territory, Mpape inclusive, without adherence to due process of the law.

“As in the statutory notices of the law; the eviction notices, the contravention notices etc must be served on any dweller in a place if it is so believed that that person or area is being occupied by people without due allocation and approval.

“In this particular case, such notices were not served on our client, so, the initial demolition exercise was challenged,” he said. 

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have been heard of the demolition threats should the FCT authorities decide to appeal the ruling, residents said they will still enjoy the moment while it lasts. 

Yahaya expressed gratitude that the case ended in favour of the residents, claiming that the government had been insensitive to their plight.

“We don’t know where to go should the demolition take place. The non-indigenes might decide to go back to their various places but what of us the indigenes?” he queried. 

A position also held by the district head of Mpape, Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Gimba, who said tension rose among the residents while the case run in court, adding that they can now heave a sigh of relief. 

Gimba who spoke through his secretary, Yakuba Zaki, said the community was the most populated in Bwari Area Council. He said if the community was to be demolished, it would have spelt trouble for hundreds of families, both natives and residents. 

“We have a lot of people living here including residents. Mpape is the most highly populated community in Bwari Area Council,” he said. 

On the judgment, he said, “We are very appreciative of the judgment because if the demolition had taken place it will be very bad for us. The residents are very happy about the judgment because most of them have assets here that help in developing the community.”

He said nobody could live in isolation, adding that this helps the natives to accommodate people from other states.

“A community cannot live without outsiders and we love them. Their presence makes Mpape to be developed,” he said.  

He held that the residents would not stop appealing to the government to reconsider its stand in demolishing the community, adding that, “Nobody wants his community destroyed.”

Another resident, Napoleon Abuchi, said government should consider alternative accommodation and compensation before thinking of ejecting the people. 

“I  reside here with my family. How will I suddenly relocate them. Apart from financial implications, it will have psychological effect on them,” he said, and urged that government should endeavour to give human face to the implementation of its policies. 

He said the court ruling brought him ‘rest of mind’, as he is on the verge of completing his building in the community. 

While Napoleon relocated to the community few years ago, Mama Patience was born in Mpape about 20 years ago. The woman, from the South East of the country, described the last four years as been riddled with uncertainty in the community, saying her parents always called to confirm  if the building was still standing whenever they were outside the community. 

“All through the period of the case there was tension, people were uneasy because after you go out, you not know the next step the government might take,” she said, adding that some of her kin are planning to relocate to their respective states. 

“But since the judgment was delivered  you could see excitement in the faces of people. People are thanking God for it,” Mama Patience. 

While Mama Patience thanked God for the development, Hope Enudilisi saw the judgment as answered prayers of her family who prayed for it daily. 

“I feel happy and very excited because it’s great news. We have been praying about it and God has answered us,” she said. 

She said her family has been living in Mpape since 2006 and owned a shop where she trades. 

“It wouldn’t have been easy if they had succeeded in demolishing this place. I would have had to relocate and start afresh and it wouldn’t have been easy at all,” she said. 

“I so much thank God for answering our prayer. He has put smiles on our faces,” she said.

But would her smile be short-lived as there are indications that the government may appeal the ruling which could lead to another tensed period.