Residents of Utako village had a harrowing experience on Wednesday, fighting scavengers to rescue their wares as demolition bulldozers plowed through hundreds of illegal shanties.
Scavengers were seen removing numerous Materials from their lawful owners, who were evidently overwhelmed by the demolition’s pain, despite the presence of security agents at the demolition site.
The clean-up exercise, according to Muktar Galadima, Director of the Department of Development Control, was not just a routine operation, but a special operation to remove any illegal buildings and allow the original allottees to return their land.
Galadima claimed that the squatters had been served with a quit notice a long time ago.
Comrade Ikharo Attah the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister said the operation was also targeted at addressing perennial traffic and criminal activities in the area.
Attah who also doused the tension generated over speculation that the homes of the indigenous people within the village would be demolished , assured that only illegal structures on the land allocated to the FCT Police Command was earmarked for demolition.
He hinted that the clean up exercise would help to restore the environmental sanitation and aesthetic of the Utako District.
His words,” We are only removing the illegal shanties to reclaim the land for the original allottees. We are not demolishing the houses of indigenous people.
” The clean up will also help to address the disturbing traffic gridlock and also criminal activities of miscreants in the place”.
