How taskforce dislodged 15,000 road corridor invaders in Gwarinpa

By Stanley Onyekwere

For allegedly erecting structures that obstructed a major arterial road N16, that traverse the Federal Secretariat, through Maitama, Katampe, Jahi and Gwarinpa in Abuja, relevant city management departments and agencies dislodged no fewer than 15,000 illegal settlers in the area
Most of the affected persons hitherto had occupied the structures, mainly shanties and other makeshift structures situated on a road corridor.
Explaining the removal exercise, FCT Director of Development Control Department, Mukhtar Galadima, who spoke to journalists, noted that the Engineering Department of the FCTA was ready to begin construction on the road as soon as the demolition was completed, given that contract for the construction of the road had already been awarded.
Galadima said: “This location that we are on is a road corridor, its an arterial road that is called N16, but on the other side of the city, this is the road that is named the Shehu Shagari Way. So, it starts from Federal Secretariat, through Maitama, Katampe, jahi and then to Gwarinpa.
“As I said, these are structures that were illegally built on the road corridor. That is why we are coming to remove them because, Engineering Department will start the road construction right away. That is why we have to remove the obstacles that are preventing them from the road construction”.
“They are being relocated somewhere else, but we have over 10 to 15,000 people who are staying here illegally. As we are clearing now, engineering is already on standby. The contract has been awarded.
“They are on standby, they wrote to us that they want us to clear this corridor for them, so that the road construction can commence. So they will not come back to this place again.”
Also speaking, the Secretary, FCT Command and Control Center, Peter Olumuji, also that the demolished structures had become notorious for harbouring criminals,

He added that the demolition would bring about better security for those residing in Gwarinpa and its environments
According to him: “The shanties we have here that you have seen physically, harbours a lot of criminal elements that have been terrorising Gwarinpa and its environments. You have issues of illicit drug dealing, you have issues of rape of the girl child, you have issues of different kind of armed robbery suspects that have been arrested within.
“There is a place even called the Abacha Estate, which the Police have recovered arms and ammunition in times past. So, this demolition is going to bring about better security for those who are residing within Gwarinpa and its environments”, he said.