On Monday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) reaffirmed the administration’s intention to continuing the demolition exercise in the capital city.

According to the administration, this is being done to protect the Abuja Master Plan and maintain the metropolis with the fastest population growth safe from crime and insecurity.

Speaking on behalf of the administration, Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, hinted that it was inappropriate for Amnesty International to request that FCTA stop demolishing more illegal buildings, shanties, batchers, and criminal hideouts in the area.

Attah, while briefing newsmen on the latest development, he said: ” For what I know, I think,
Amnesty International is addressing a particular case that involves the removal of illegal structures at Gaduwa village in the FCT and not the entire territory like the report suggested.

” Amnesty International has not asked that we should stop demolition but be a little careful. FCTA and
Amnesty International knows that the removal of the illegal structures, clearing of criminal dens and areas that have become a security threat to the city is for the good of everybody and the defence of human rights which
Amnesty International represents very strongly.

” If we must work going forward, I don’t think FCTA will stop the removal of illegal structures. Those who build them understand clearly that they are illegal, contravene the master plan and understand the consequences of what they have done. FCTA will sustain the removal of all illegal structures before this administration, during this administration and after this administration. The moment you stop the removal, you have grounded the city and the city will become ungovernable. There is no plan of stopping and
Amnesty International has not made that call, they are only addressing a particular issue or somehow, also have to get personeel for the removal of to be extremely civil defending human rights which is what we are doing and we hope to improve on what we are doing. For now, we are committed and keen to even look at the removal of all shanties.

“Look at what happened in Kubwa, the building collapsed, which was said to have been caused by alterations of the building plan caused the death of two and left several injured. These are the things we want to avoid, when Illegalities persist and you don’t tackle it, there will be a problem. So , no going back on demolition of illegal structures and shanties in the nation’s capital.

” The Amnesty International report is a misconception of what happened in Gaduwa village, when we removed illegal structures, journalists were there, we did not touch the indigenous houses, we were guided by Madaki who was on ground. So stopping the removal of illegal structures as a city is not possible. The moment you stop Illegalities in a place, it becomes a safe heaven for criminals, it shows the city has on govern space and will not be good for anyone of us. We will keep removing illegal structures, criminal illegal structures, criminal hide out and shanties to keep Abuja safe”, he said.

It would be recalled that,
Amnesty International and the Original Inhabitants of the nation’s capital, Abuja in Dubaidna, Durumi 3 Village called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA to as a matter of urgency put a halt to plans for further Demolition of the area.

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved contract for the provision of security services to the Abuja Rail Mass Transit phase 1 (Lots 3 and 1A) at a total sum of N718, 193, 250 million. 

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Malam Muhammad Musa Bello made this known after the FEC meeting held on Wednesday, 24th August 2022, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

According to the Minister, the contract was awarded to two security service providers namely Messrs Al-Ahli Security Guards Ltd, at the cost of N407, 214, 000 million, covering a distance of 27.245 kilometers and comprising of eight rail stations and Messrs Segad Security Protective Company Ltd, at the cost of N310, 979, 250 million, covering a distance of 18 kilometers, comprising of four stations.

The scope of the contract, which will last for a period of two years, includes protection of the rail tracks, Communication and Control Centre infrastructure as well as electrical and signaling equipment.

Acting Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Usman Musa Yahaya while providing more details on the contract explained that the provision of emergency security services to the rail tracks became imperative following vandalization of portions of the track.

Yahaya recalled that following the commissioning the Abuja Rail Mass Transit operation in June, 2018, provision of rail services continued till the nation-wide lock down, which was occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

He regretted that, vandals took advantage of the lock down and vandalized some of the rail facilities.

Yahaya said: “This approval is therefore a very good one for the FCT because it will go a long way in securing the rail track.

Eight months later, on Wednesday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) carried out more cleanup work by deploying bulldozers to shield the Mpape people from crime and traffic jams.

After eight months of demolishing shanties on the perpetually busy road, Comrade Ikharo Attah, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, claimed that the illegal structures had returned on the road corridors, which had become a haven for undesirable characters in the neighborhood.

He explained that the administration had received information of illicit activities along the road corridor from the Crush Rock location all the way down to the old market area.

As stated by Attah, the cleanup will improve the city’s sanitation, fight against encroachment and curb reported cases of criminal activities.

He stated that illegal operations in Mpape area which is adjacent bustling Maitama District in Abuja must be checked.

“After eight months, we are back to Mpape because the criminals have returned to the crush rock area. We have gotten report that they are back, so we have to quickly come and clear them.

“We are doing two things here, revisiting of sanitation exercise, freeing of the road, encroachment and curbing of criminal activities especially within the crush rock area.

“The FCT Administration recently launched tourism roadmap, that means that the crush rock area is needed this will change the narrative of tourism, with this cleaning up criminals won’t disturbed people going to the tourist area.

“We have also knocked down criminals’ hideouts behind the banks’ area which is the commercial hub. This shows that we are winning in our fight against criminal elements in Mpape”

*** Arrests Two Drug Peddlers, Three Suspected Criminals

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has committed to support the removal of unauthorized buildings, markets, and shanties erected along Gwarimpa rail line.

Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, the minister for the FCT, and Sunday Babaji, the police commissioner, have reaffirmed their resolve to cleaning out all criminal hideouts in the nation’s capital.

Immediately following the cleanup operation in Gwarimpa, Comrade Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, gave this hint on behalf of the administration.

The joint tasks team which comprises of FCTA Senior officials, Nigerian Army, The Nigeria Police Force , Federal Road Safety Corps , Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, The Nigeria Immigration Service The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Department of State Services
, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, and Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) stormed the rail corridor unannounced to commence demolition of shanties, market and batchers defacing the satellite town.

The shanties were not only cleared but also burnt to ashes. This according to him was to prevent a comeback of the illegal structures and market.

Attah words: “We are here for several reasons, the first one is that there have been series of complaints over this place.
Secondly, the issue of city Sanitation is a problem here and general issues of insecurity here. This is Hayari kasua market , we cleared it last year and this year we have come again to clear it because the traders returned.

“The Police Commissioner , Sunday Babaji and Police DPO in Gwarimpa have gotten report of criminal activities going on here , residents have complained very bitterly of persons trying to hide here as cover to rob neighborhoods and that has been very alarming.

” Today, some arrests were made of people carrying illicit drugs and were arrested by the NDLEA of the Command and Control JTF team under the CP of FCT and the DC Bernard Iwe.

“The Police also arrested three suspected criminals and the NDLEA arrested two people peddling drugs. This is a big task, but we are not given up. We will keep coming until they stop to come. We came under the rain for the enforcement, he explained.

Responding to a question on why the land was not put to its original use, Attah said , “The land belongs to FCT Administration and was designed as a transit part connecting the Kubwa outer northern road, that it has not been awarded does not mean that people should encroached on it and build offensive market, batchers and shanties that serve as criminal hideout.

“The park and recreation are aware of it, and the police had advised that the administration should build a fence around it. To keep out intruders”.

Fielding question from newsmen on the sustainability, he said , “last year, we cleared this place, and we are here today, we will keep coming until the criminals and those breaking the laws learn to stop seized to come back. Gwarimpa will take us up to a week, Kuje

“Gwarimpa will take us one week, Kuje is still work in progress and Npape is beckoning, Airport road is a constant place of operation and everywhere around the city is calling for clean up”

Meanwhile, traders were seen salvaging their wares as motorcyclists were making brisk business.

FCTA asserts that the ongoing Kuje Demolition is intended to reduce crime and insecurity. NASS Summon

On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) stated that the continuous demolition of illegitimate buildings in Kuje Area Council was done so as to reduce crime and other forms of insecurity.

This is in response to a petition from demolition victims, its officials provided this justification when they spoke before the House of Representatives Committee on Area Councils.

Umar Shaibu, Coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), stated that the administration undertook the initiative in order to swiftly address threats to the nation’s security, peace, and order.

He stated that to ensure the protection of human rights, a careful approach was followed, all applicable laws were upheld, and the key players were also involved at various points.

The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Comrade Ikharo Attah hinted that before the exercise, the administration was worried about the security breaches that had taken place in Kuje. 

This breeches, he said could not be tolerated by the administration, as it puts government in a bad light.

Attah explained that the most painful situation was that certain people disregarded warnings and illegally converted reserved railway corridors and public abattoir site to residential homes.

Also , speaking the Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima  explained that Area Councils had since list the right to allocate lands in FCT after the reforms that were introduced in 2005.

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 at the railway corridors with concern.

He further noted that notices were served at illegal occupants, while some of the buildings were removed, but the land was illegally acquired by others.

Chairman of the Committee, Hon. 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,  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 enumerate the houses that were demolished and compensate the victims. 

The 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey/National Immunization Coverage Survey Report is made public by the National Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF.

According to a study, the percentage of exclusively breastfed children in Nigeria climbed from 24% to 34%, and approximately 60% of newborns are now registered with civil authorities.

With the official launch of Nigeria’s 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) and National Immunization Coverage Survey (NICS) reports today, Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has made it easier to track the conditions of women and children in Nigeria.

A household survey called the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey was created by UNICEF to help nations cover data gaps for tracking human development indicators in general and the plight of children and women in Nigeria.

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey is a household survey developed by UNICEF to assist countries in filling data gaps for monitoring human development indicators in general and the situation of children and women, in particular. It has evolved over the years to respond to changing data needs, expanding from 28 indicators in the first round in 1999 to 200 in its current sixth.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) implemented MICS which provides data on child mortality, health, nutrition, education, child and social protection, women’s health care and empowerment, water, sanitation and hygiene, while NICS assesses vaccination coverage provided through the health systems.

Indicators produced for the first time include social transfer, household energy use, child functioning and foundational learning skills. The survey measures the government’s progress towards national commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The MICS results reveal that Nigeria has made progress in some sectors. Child mortality decreased from 1 in 8 children dying before their fifth birthday (MICS 2016) to 1 in 10 children (MICS 2021). There has also been significant progress in exclusive breastfeeding and birth registration rates – the exclusive breastfeeding rate increased from 24 per cent to 34 per cent, while nearly 60 per cent of Nigerian children are now registered at birth with civil authorities, compared to 47 per cent in 2016. In addition, child marriage (women married before age 18) has reduced from 44 per cent to 30 per cent since 2016.

“The 2021 Nigeria MICS-NICS report provides evidence-based data for all key stakeholders to prioritise quality services for children and women with higher efficiency and effectiveness,” said Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO National Bureau of Statistics Prince Adeyemi Adeniran. “The information collated will inform policies aimed at social inclusion of the most vulnerable population, help identify disparities, and allow for international comparability.”

“Data is critical for effective budgeting and decision making – and the data from these surveys together paint a picture of the situation for children and families in Nigeria,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.

“The picture is a mixed one. While there has been some good progress, and we should celebrate that – we still have a long way to go to towards ensuring the well-being of children in Nigeria.,

The findings of this survey will help guide the federal and state governments as they plan their budgets – providing evidence for where more support and funds need to be   wisely allocated and utilized.”

“As we build back better from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MICS-NICS survey provides evidence to shape interventions and focus resources in a way that helps children and their families reach their full potential,” Statistician-General of the Federation/CEO National Bureau of Statistics Prince Adeyemi Adeniran. “Using the data to monitor progress towards our collective commitments to children and families, and inform future action is critical if we must leave no one behind.”