The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced demolition of about 102 houses built along water channels in the Gwagwalada Area Council of the Territory.
The action is in response to the recent flood incident that claimed a family of 5 in Giri-Kpasere, along Airport Road in Gwagwalada.
According to the FCTA Department of Development Control, the illegal houses had been marked for demolition more than one year ago while government has given the residents enough time to move out of the flood prone areas.
Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Department of Department Control, Garba Kwamkur said government could not spare the houses anymore, following the recent forecast of more rains and consequential flooding that will affect the area.
Kwamkur noted that the community is part of the land covering about 260 hectares allocated within the Abuja Master Plan for the development of the University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, but some indigenous people and other squatters are staying there temporarily.
He said: “the University has written to us about the encroachment issue. The settlement here that’s due for resettlement has grown beyond it’s boundary. And we have issue of flood some time last week, where five persons, who were carried away by the flood, were confirmed dead.
“We actually had to discuss it with the village leaders on the need to move away from the flood plain area. FCT Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also predicted that there would be heavy flood this year, so we are doing a precautionary measure, that’s why all the buildings along the flood plains will have to go.
“All contravention notices have been given as far back as last year (2019). No government will sit down and do nothing when the lives of its citizens are being threatened by either flood or any other thing.
Chief of the Community, Isah Egari who said he is not opposing the demolition of the houses built on the water channels, however pleaded with the FCT Administration to give the residents more time to move out from the affected places.
Egari also called on the demolition team to restrict the bulldozers to the areas close to the water channels, so as not to impose undue hardship on other residents who were not affected.
