Alleged land grabbing: FCTA raids, demolishes estates at Idu

By Stanley Onyekwere

In a clear move to curtail the rising proliferation of illegal estates, officials of FCT Administration yesterday raided and removed several estates in residential area of the Idu Industrial Area, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
In particular, the FCTA officials mainly from the Department of Development Control accompanied security operatives stormed and pulled down perimeter fences and few buildings at different stages of construction at the sites of White City Estate, City Palace Estate Prime Ville by Hulumi village, near the Idu Train Station.
Speaking during the exercise, Director, Development Control Department, TPL Mukhtar Galadima, said the removal was part of the measures to check instances of people just coming to parcel land, and allocate it to themselves without recourse to the relevant authorities of the government.
Galadima noted that most of them are fenced while some of them are about excavating, but their advertisement has gone round the globe, adding that “ the FCT Administration is seriously committed to see that we do away with this kind of illegality”.
He explained that the Department is discussing with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, which is the custodian of the Abuja Master plan, to hasten and conclude the process of design of the phase IV of the Federal Capital City (FCC), which the affected area is part of it.
“A month ago, we had a press briefing, where we intimated the citizens about the rising cases of land grabbing in the FCT especially those using the social media to advertise their commodity, so the removal exercise is part of the actualisation of our briefing on the menace.
“Today, we are at Idu Train Station, where we have seen instances of people just coming to parcel land, and allocate it to themselves without recourse to the relevant authorities of the government, that is why we have to make good our promises that we are going to tackle the menace.
“The estates are uncountable, because they just parcel and fence them. Everywhere have been fenced, that is why we had to nip it at the bud. And the longest marking here was done in 2018 or 2019, and since then, the developer has not continue to develop.
“It is part of the residential area that would support the Idu industrial area, so whatever people are doing now it is just illegality.
“And we have been creating awareness on why people should not just buy land on social media as they should go to the right authority to get things right. The FCT Administration is serious committed to see that we do away with this kind of illegality”, he stressed.
He however, warned that it is just the begining of the removal exercise, as they are returning back tomorrow to continue with adequate reinforcement and heavy duty equipment to do the work.