Abuja — Officials of the Development Control Department of the FCDA on Friday demolished some buildings at the Zone 8 of Lugbe area of the FCT.

In the exercise, over 60 houses were demolished by three bulldozers in an operation the Deputy Director of the Development Control Alhaji Hamza Madaki Tahir said was necessitated because the area has been earmarked for the building of Abuja Technology Village .

According to him, the settlement was occupied by non-indigenous squatters who built the houses without seeking relevant information and authorisation, adding that the houses were marked since 2006.

"In 2006 all these structures were marked for demolition but people were appealing for more time so they were given time. When they did not move in 2008, the structures were marked again. Not only the buildings that are within the range will be demolished, all these communication masts will also be removed. The on-going Lugbe-airport road expansion will stretch to the area we are demolishing now. This is also part of the reasons that triggered this exercise," he said.

He emphasised that the early demolition of the settlement is to pave way for the commencement of the Abuja Technology Village project and for the Lugbe-Airport road extension that is on-going.

A resident of the area, Anita Uwua said that the buildings were marked a week ago after which they came to announce through a public address system until when they saw bulldozers pulling down the structures.

Anita, an undergraduate of the University of Abuja, explained that she is a tenant in one of the demolished buildings of which she paid rent fees of N120,000 naira, adding that she has not spent up to five months before the demolition.

Speaking on the allegation of short notice given to the residents, Alhaji Hamsa said that the Department, on two occasions held a town hall meeting with the residents on this impending exercise but they chose not to leave, complaining that the occupants kept building houses everyday even though they knew the settlement was marked for demolition.

Meanwhile, the Development Control Department has given out a timetable for the demolition exercise in the FCT.

Marked buildings in Mabushi/Kado/Katampe and Gwagwalada will be demolished from August 31st - 3rd of September while Bwari/Mpape and Garki will experience demolition from 7th - 11th September.