Insecurity: FCTA moves to demolish suspected criminals’ den

By Stanley Onyekwere

As part of efforts to mitigate rising insecurity, the FCT Administration has identified and  marked structures within a settlement suspected to be criminals den on Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport road corridor for immediate demolition.

Also marked for demolition were illegal structures at Karon-majiji and other  shanties that take over Kuje township road, allegedly causing unabated human and vehicular traffic gridlock in the area.

Making this disclosure, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah, who led the the exercise on Tuesday, said the places pose serious security threat.

He said  the bulldozer would in few days hit the Bassan -Jiwa, Fataan communities that are  near the main gate of the  local wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe  Airport.

Attah also disclosed that all  the shanties and illegal structures around the  Bassan-Jiwa station of the railway close to the Airport corridors will be pulled down during the exercise 

According to him, the planned demolition was in continuation of the minister’s directives to keep the city free from illegalities especially structures that usually serve as haven for  criminals.

He said: “Marking of these structures is a prelude to the intensive work that we have planned to do in most part of the city  to keep it more safe.

“We started with Karon-majiji, then Bassan-Jiwa where people have built up to the railway line which is very bad, the structures are even touching the rail pillars, and for security reasons we wouldn’t allowed such to stand. 

“In Kuje, the traffic in the heart of the town is very bad and we have to reclaim it. We can’t sit down and watch the illegalities to continue.

He explained that pulling down of shanties that have taken over Kuje township road would start after consultation with the chairman of the Area Council,the traditional ruler and other key stakeholders.

“In Kuje own, we will do more of engagement in collaboration with the stakeholders on the need for the people to understand that the illegal structures must be removed”, he added.

On his part, the Director Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima said although Kuje is not in the city centre, but as  one of the satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory that deserves serious attention from the Department.