FCTA demolishes structures at Guzape, Katampe extension

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished structures at Guzape II and Katampe extension in the FCT, for building without approval from the department of development control.

The authorities also said that henceforth, any land fraudster and unauthorised developer found developing without approval will be arrested and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

The coordinator of Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Umar Shuaibu, stated this during the demolition exercise in the communities on Monday.

He said most of the developers only visit the department of development control to open files, and after getting the file number, they continue with their buildings without completing the necessary procedures.

Shuaibu described the buildings without proper documents as fraudulent acts, which he said must not be allowed to continue in the city. The area is pruned to flooding and other environmental disasters.

“Any development in Abuja without approval or documents from the FCT department of development control is a fraudulent act. We have served relevant notices to the affected areas, and the time we gave them has elapsed which is why we started the demolition.

“Anybody found here that is responsible for this illegal development will be arrested and the person will face the law. Before we do any layout, we make sure there is infrastructure provision.

“People will come to Development Control and submit the file, and after getting the file number someone will go and start development in the name of approval, it is not every file that is submitted in Development Control that will be approved.

“There is no accessibility here, a layout must not have environmental degradation. No environmental assessment on the whole area, if we didn’t take urgent action there will be so much environmental degradation that will take place here,” he said.

He further said that those interested in buying houses and plots in Abuja must make sure that there is a proper allocation and building plan approval.

The director of the Department of Development Control, Murktar Galadima, said officials of the department will soon be deployed to areas demolished to guide against illegal development.

The senior special assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Ikharo Attah said:

“The Minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Bello has given us a matching order to remove those who are selling land illegally, those who are buying land from land grabbers.

“This is very wrong here and the Minister is keen on getting this place corrected so we came in here after the Katampe extension to come and remove those who bought land from locals. We are warning people to stop buying lands from the locals, the natives do not have papers,” he said.

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