Squatters battle to save belongings as task force clears Apo settlement

It was an agonizing day for squatters in Cashew Garden, located behind the Federal Housing Authority in Apo District. A taskforce on city sanitation, operating under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), caught them by surprise, arriving to dismantle their settlement during a heavy downpour on Tuesday. Visibly confused, the squatters ran from their makeshift […]

It was an agonizing day for squatters in Cashew Garden, located behind the Federal Housing Authority in Apo District.

A taskforce on city sanitation, operating under the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), caught them by surprise, arriving to dismantle their settlement during a heavy downpour on Tuesday.

Visibly confused, the squatters ran from their makeshift homes at the sound of bulldozers, frantically trying to salvage their valuables in the rain.

The weather did not deter the task force from its work, and the illegal settlement, which was built on a road corridor, was completely cleared.

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Stephen Obiozor, chairman of the community, lamented the sudden operation, which has not only left many residents homeless but has also disrupted their livelihoods. “We are at a crossroads,” he said.

Mukhtar Galadima, the FCTA Director of Development Control, explained that the sanitation exercise is a continuation of the mandate from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to rid the city of miscreants and criminal elements.

He noted that the area was originally designated for residential use and that while allocations had been made, the allottees failed to develop their plots within the stipulated time.