Kubwa inferno: 100 Structures demolished over building laws contravention

By Stanley Onyekwere

Barely a week after kerosine explosion in Kubwa Village, claimed six lives, the Federal Capital Administration ( FCTA) has demolished about 100 illegal shops, built around the market.

It was gathered that the demolition exercise, carried out by the FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, was said to have been initiated to correct contraventions that have constituted environmental nuisances.

Also, FCTA officials disclosed that the illegal shops were built directly under electricity high tension installations, while many were used to block access roads, making it difficult for rescue operations, in an event of emergency.

Speaking during the exercise, Chairman of the Committee, Ikharo Attah said the  FCT Ministers, both Malam Muhammad Bello and Dr. Ramatu Aliyu were not happy with the continued contraventions in the area and have directed that the cleanup exercise be carried out, to prevent further lost of lives, and safety threatening incidents.

He noted that even the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji has reiterated commitment to providing security backup for every operations targeted at tackling  illegalities and criminalities within the nation’s capital.

Attah, who expressed dismay that residents and traders have continued to violate developmental blueprint, leading to deaths of innocent people.

According to him, occupiers of these illegal shops had been put on notice for a very long time now,  as many of their kiosks and illegal extension structures were removed.

He said, “ We have always been on this road axis for the past three years, trying to clean it up and we have always had intense problems.  We have cleared the road to the market which was blocked for about six years.

“But in the aftermath of the fire incident wherein about 7 persons lost their lives , we had no option than to do what we believe is the right thing . We have giving notices for people to quit the illegal shops.

“Even the very shop where the explosion happened, we had removed that tank. We will remove all the illegal shops because the community had been blocked”.