Victims of Abuja demolition resist relocation

Occupants of Ruga settlement, a slum located by the Abuja City Gate, yesterday, vowed not to move out of Abuja despite constant demolitions by the FCT Administration. City & Crime learnt that the settlement had been demolished over 20 times as the settlers always return to the area. When the FCT demolition squad stormed the […]

Occupants of Ruga settlement, a slum located by the Abuja City Gate, yesterday, vowed not to move out of Abuja despite constant demolitions by the FCT Administration.

City & Crime learnt that the settlement had been demolished over 20 times as the settlers always return to the area.

When the FCT demolition squad stormed the area yesterday, occupants were seen savaging their belongings but insisted that they would not leave the nation’s capital, requesting for resettlement or continue to waste money on demolition.

Secretary of the community, Ibrahim Yusuf, who decried the frequent demolitions of the community, attributed the rise in slums to the high cost of accommodation in Abuja.

• We support competition but won’t allow continued PMS import – Dangote Refinery
• FG tasks stakeholders on reducing Nigeria’s cancer burden

Yusuf, who said residents of the community also contribute to the socio-economic growth of the FCT, asked the Administration to consider relocating or developing low-cost housing for them.

He said while the residents of the community were ready to vacate the area, they were not willing to leave the FCT.

The Director, FCT Security Services, Adamu Gwary, who led a joint task team to the site, charged land owners to start developing their plots to discourage shanties from creeping back.

The Director, who was represented by the Secretary, FCT Command and Control Centre, Dr. Peter Olumuji, said the exercise was based on ministerial directive to rid the city of any form of nuisance and criminality.