By Stanley Onyekwere
Following reports of security threats and sales of illicit drugs, the FCT Administration yesterday moved in and cleared part of a popular forest in Pasali area of Kuje Area Council, of Abuja, the nation’s capital city.
Also, the exercise was carried out to pave way for the authorities of the Kuje Council to move the perishable goods traders at main Kuje market there, in order to stop street trading along the road corridor.
According to Head, Monitoring and Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, who explained the exercise, there had been reported cases of theft, snatching of bags and phones inside the forest.
He said: “We have some security challenges in this area, there were cases of sale and consumption of illicit drugs in this area.
“And we have some cases of reported theft, snatching of bags and phones. It also have some security challenges.
“But with the coming of the market, we hope all these security challenges will be subside”.
He adds that: “From our previous work we found out there is spill over in the market that is why we have people trading on the road corridor because there is no space in the market.
“We are facilitating the relocation of the market here. We have decided to clear this place, in order to relocate them here, especially those who sell perishables will be relocated here”.
On compensation of some of the economic trees that were removed, he said, “There are so many economic trees here but the Area Council will compensate them.
“Yes, they are going to be compensated the Area Council will compensate the owners of the the economic trees”.
One of the affected owners of the economic trees in the forest, who simply identified himself as Benjamin decried that they were taken aback, as nobody informed that the trees were going to be felled.
According to him, he had Cashew and Gmelina trees and they were all cleared without the payment of compensation for removed the economic trees.
Similarly, Ishaku Adamu, from Shetuko, Kuje Area Council, said the land belong to his family and there has not been any negotiation of any kind, from the Area Council.
“They have cleared our economic trees, but the government should compensate us”, he insisted.
