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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) insisted on Thursday that its ongoing demolition of illegal structures in Kuje Area Council was designed to curb insecurity.
The explanation was given when they appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Area Councils, to respond to a petition by victims of the demolition.
Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) Coordinator Umar Shaibu said the exercise was undertaken by the administration to quickly respond to identified threats to national security, peace and order.
He noted that a careful procedure was followed, all extant laws adhered to, while the critical stakeholders were also engaged at different times, to ensure that human rights were not bridged.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Attah Ikharo, disclosed that before the exercise, the administration was worried about the security breaches that had taken place in Kuje.
These breaches, he said, could not be tolerated by the administration, as it puts the government in a bad light.
Ikharo explained that the most painful situation was that certain people disregarded warnings and illegally converted reserved railway corridors and public abattoir sites to residential homes.
In his response, the Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, explained that area councils had since lost the right to allocate lands in FCT after the reforms that were introduced in 2005.
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He added that local chiefs also do not have the legal right to transfer any valid title to anyone.
The Representative of Kuje Area Council Chairman, Ishaku Habila, who is also the Chief Surveyor of Kuje Area Council, confirmed that the Area Council had followed the illegal developments, especially in the railway corridors with concern.
He further noted that notices were served to illegal occupants, while some of the buildings were removed, but the land was illegally acquired by others.
Chairman of the Committee Yusuf Tijjani assured that justice would be done to both Government and the victims of the demolition.
He also endorsed the motion raised by the committee members who raised the alarm and doubts over the integrity of documents submitted by the victims and claimants.
The committee has ordered the FCT Minister to appear before it, and produce all relevant documents to the exercise.
Meanwhile, the Counsel to the Victims, Victor Onyekachi, urged the committee to compel the Minister to do things right by first revoking the land, halting further demolition in the area and also enumerating the houses that were demolished and compensating the victims.
