FCTA destroys cashew garden, shanties in Apo

The City Sanitation Operation of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has demolished illegal structures and shanties, popularly called ‘Cashew Garden’, in Apo Cadastral Zone E27, Abuja.

Mr Mukhtar Galadima, FCT Director of Development Control, who led the operation in Abuja on Tuesday, August 12, told journalists during the exercise that the move was to rid the city of criminal elements and miscreants.

He said: “You recall that we were at Zone 3, Wuse and UTC for similar exercises since the commencement of the operation as directed by the FCT Security Committee.

“Today we are in Apo, dislodging shanties and miscreants, posing security threats to residents of the area.”

Galadima insisted that the occupation and operations in the area were without government authorization and therefore illegal.

He added that the FCT Administration would revoke the land allocation because it was harboring criminals who commit crimes throughout the city.

Galadima also stated that the area was designated for residential purposes, and although allocations had been made, the recipients failed to develop their plots within the specified timeframe.

“So as has been directed by the FCT Security Committee, we are going to take over the area; we are going to possess it,” he said.

He added that the area had been planned with a clearly defined road corridor demarcated by a deep trench.

He said: “The road is what we call the S20, extension of Oladipo Diya that goes through FHA Apo, up to Guzape 2. So the road is clearly defined and the plots are also defined.

“So we have concluded, based on what we have seen, that all those people that own plots here and allow these people to erect illegal structures will lose the allocations and be reverted to the FCT Administration.”

The director explained that the operation would be extended to all nooks and crannies of the FCT.

Also speaking, Mr Adamu Gwary, Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, said the operation was making FCT very hot for people with criminal tendencies.

Gwary, who was represented by the Secretary, Head of Command and Control, Dr Peter Olumuji, said that some of the miscreants deal in illicit drugs.

“One thing we want criminal elements to know is that FCT is not a place they can urbanate again..Wherever you go, we are going to pursue you and smoke you out,” Gwary said.