Jabi demolition: Villagers halt removal of buildings under high tension

By Stanley Onyekwere

Some irate inhabitants of Magaji PE community under Jabi District of Abuja fought and prevented officials of the FCT Administration’s Department of Development Control, from removing illegal buildings under high tension electricity facility, in the area. 

This, followed palpable tension engulfed the area, when visibly enraged villagers mainly young men, women and the old turned out in large number, warning that if the FCT officials insist on removing the alleged buildings, they will stone them to dead.

Consequently, the officials of Development Control Department along with few security men tactically withdrew from the area in odet to avoid total breakdown of law and order.

Reacting to the development, the director of the department,  TPL Mukhtar Galadima, described the situation as very unfortunate and completely unacceptable by the FCT Administration.

He explained that the department earlier issued a vacation noticed to those who occupying illegal structures built under high tension in Magaji PE community.

Galadima reiterated that by the rules and regulations of Urban and Regional Planning and Abuja Master Plan, the department would not allow any building under the high tension, noting that the whole essence of government was to protect lives and properties.

According to him, “It is really unfortunate what happened here today and we decided to tactically withdrew to avoid causing more chaos and crisis.

“ So the best thing for us is to withdraw from the exercise pending when tension is down and then we adequately prepared then we can go back and do what is necessary.

“ The operation is part of our weekend programme activities, where we sanitise the city particularly where we believe there are issues of security challenges or issue of hygiene and other aspects of urbanisation, so we try to move in.

“ We have done that at Apo, some part of resettlement centre B and other parts of the city. Even last week we came here and started the operation but because time was against us we move out and decided to return today.”

The director stated that the department was not trying to be high handedness rather making efforts to save lives and protect properties of citizens. 

“ One fundamental issue that people should know is that it not  because we are high handedness rather we are trying to save lives and protect properties because right over the village is high tension cable that passed over the village.

“  And there are some building under the high tension which we try as soon as possible to remove them under the tension so that is what we intended to do this morning.

“ But unfortunately the occupants of the house under the high tension both indigenes and none indigenes mobilize and try to challenge the authority but what needs to be done must be done.

“ The essence of government is to protect lives and properties and by our rules and regulations we are not to allow any building under high tension we will do what is to be done and we will definitely do it.”

Galadima revealed that when next the department would go back to remove the buildings under high tension it would put adequate security and logistics arrangements.

“ We earlier issued vacation notice to them and we even call the Head of the village for a meeting so that we engage them and tell them why we are doing the operation.

“ We are not going to removed the indigenous community what we are removing is the buildings under the high tension and threes that are becoming high out for criminals in the area”, he stressed.