By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) officials on Tuesday began a fact finding exercise and making of illegal houses in Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Bwari Area Council, as a way of checking insecurity in the nation’s capital.
Recently, kidnappers had abducted some residents in Sagwari Layout Estate, where the marking of illegal houses began today.
Director, Department of Development Control Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mukhtar Galadima who led the team, told journalists that the exercise was to ascertain causes of kidnappings, insecurity and to find solutions.
Galadima explained that the officials with support of security personnel will identify buildings without approval and other illegal activities in the area.
He said that the area was surrounded by structures built without the consent of development control and plan, thereby aiding criminals to operate.
Galadima who was represented by the Deputy Director Monitoring and Enforcement, Hassan Ogbole, blamed the poor planning on the local chief and his men.
He said after profiling, the department will recommend necessary measures that will curb the activities of criminals.
“The exercise is a fact finding mission and part of the department periodic monitoring of development, what we came to realize of recent is the growing chain of illegal developments within the Ecological sensitive zone to lower Usuman dam, which is supposed to be a secured side.
“Activities of illegal developers is a threat to the FCT Administration and to the dam, on several occasions we have taken steps to carry out enforcement but, unabated . We attribute this to collaboration between developers and the local chief, the chief has records of every person.The place is not accessible, it’s not build able, if you go up you can see underage children on top of the rocks.”
“The government will not condole this, in physical planning there are places that we reserve, these are reservations. So, we will put up our report and recommendations to the appropriate quarters and see what could be done.”
The Secretary Command and control, Security Department FCT Administration, Dr Peter Olumuji stated that the lapses were promoted by illegal activities being promoted by the locals.
Olumuji said, ” What we have seen here shows the level of insensitivity from the village chief, most of the people we interacted with said they got the lands from the village chief, that the man never cares about the safety of lives and property within the area.”
“This mountain site that we visited, is where some persons were kidnapped, we have accessed the mountain site, based on the position of development control, it is against the planning template.”
“The honourable minister had assured Abuja residents of their safety, also as a fact finding mission and confidence building that the administration is not leaving them, we have checked and we will be sure that their security is certain.”
“People must also stop buying land from village chiefs, they don’t have the power in FCT to sell land , they are only interested about their monetary gain and not the safety, he said.
