The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said its task team on city sanitation has removed a total of 3,197 shanties and illegal structures and crushed 1,292 commercial motorcycles within the last two weeks.
The executive secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Hadi Ahmad, said the exercise was to ensure the safety and security of FCT residents and maintain a high standard of living for the residents devoid of any threat.
He explained that a total of 123 illegal structures were removed at Katampe Extension and Guzape Districts and a total of 3,074 shanties were removed and cleared at Durumi I, II, III, Monkey Village, Dagba, the Illegal IDP Camp at Durumi District and under some bridges in the Federal Capital City (FCC).
Also, a total of 1,292 commercial motorcycles were arrested, impounded, and crushed in the public glare in various Districts where their operations were banned in line with the Court's forfeiture order obtained.
Ahmad, who spoke at a joint press briefing on the removal of illegal structures and all forms of criminality and criminal elements in the FCC, said the Task Team mobilised all necessary tools (human and material) and commenced the removal of such identified nuisances, which culminated into the successes recorded between December 9 and 22, 2022
He noted that the FCTA had observed with great concern the increase in illegal developments in some parts of the FCC, flagrant disrespect to the ban on the operation of Commercial Motorcycles, and proliferation of shanties and illegal settlement in the guise of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
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He explained that the most affected Districts with such illegal developments concerns were Guzape, Katampe Extension, and Lugbe Airport Road. Areas with shanties in the guise of IDPs include Durumi, Wasa, and Kuchi Goro.
"Areas with disturbing activities of Commercial Motorcycle operation include and are not limited to Airport Road, Durumi, Kubwa, Asokoro Extension, and Guzape Districts.
"Such concerns no doubt exacerbate security challenges affect the aesthetic of the city as well as contravene the approved Master Plan of the City which invariably creates bottlenecks in the management of the City," he said.
The FCDA boss recalled that the FCTA Management, led by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, resolved to address such anomaly and restore the confidence of the FCT residents in the Administration, directed him to lead other stakeholder Departments and Agencies to ensure that such anomalies were squarely addressed.
The executive secretary, FCDA-led Task Team comprising of Coordinator AMMC, Senior Special Assistant to Hon. Minister FCT on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, Directors of Departments of Development Control, Security Services FCTA, Urban and Regional Planning, Lands Administration, AGIS, Survey and Mapping, Engineering Services FCDA.
