Massive demolition looms as FCTA insists on removing illegal housing estates in Apo, Lugbe

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned residents of the Idu Train Station, Apo Tapi, and Lugbe areas of the Abuja Metropolitan Area Council (AMAC) about the proliferation of unlawful housing estates and other development.

The FCTA through the Department of Development Control (DDC) said it has already served all pertinent notifications, marked structures and is preparing to launch a significant removal operation when the time is right.

The alarm became necessary, according to DDC Director Mukhtar Galadima, during a press conference on Friday, because of the escalating advertisements on social media by land grabbers and illegal developers of housing estates.

Galadima hinted that these areas have not yet been detailed with any design layout but people are carrying fake title documents allegedly allocated by AMAC.

He said with the constitution of the FCT Urban and Planning Tribunal, land grabbing and other menaces will be reduced, as there would be prosecution of defaulters.

He also hinted that developers of illegal structures and land grabbers will be made to pay for the cost of demolition and afterwards be handed over to the Police for diligent prosecution.

Galadima warned, “Our attention has been drawn to some areas of the city where people are developing without any title developments. And we want to educate the public and inform them that some of these adverts are on illegal developments.

“As the department of Development Control in FCT, we found it expedient to adequately inform the citizens on the need to secure building plan and approval, to enable them develop in line with what is being approved”