By Daniel Okejeme & Samuel Akpan
More than 20 buildings, including residential and commercial, have so far been demolished on Tuesday, March 11, at Gishir, a suburb of the Katampe District in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the supervision of the FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, with a warning that the exercise will continue on Wednesday.
Located about 11km from the upscale Maitama District, the community boasts of over 500 houses, including bungalows, shanties, and a three-storey building owned by the Living Faith Church, aka Winners’ Chapel.
Persecondnews correspondents, who witnessed the demolition before they were chased away by security operatives, report that residents wailed uncontrollably, desperately scrambling to salvage what remained of their shattered homes and livelihoods as the bulldozers were mobilized to the community.
As the shops, including those selling building materials, phones, phone accessories, and flour, were reduced to rubble, distraught traders stood agape, sobbing over the destruction of their goods and life’s savings.
Security personnel, comprising the Police, Military, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), who accompanied the minister fired tear gas canisters at the crowd, threatening to open fire further escalating tension.
Many residents, who had already left for work, rushed back home desperate to salvage what was left of their personal belongings.
As the residents grappled with the devastation of their homes and livelihoods, scavengers, known locally as “babanbola,” were seen carting away salvaged materials, including roofing sheets and metals.
Despite the presence of security operatives, the scavengers continued to seize items from the residents, prompting brave individuals to confront them and fight to reclaim their stolen properties.
The demolition, however, is not an isolated event.
Persecondnews had reported that the FCT Administration(FCTA) carried out a similar demolition exercise in the same Gishiri Community from May 17 to May 18, 2023, during which over 100 buildings were bulldozed.
In an interview with Persecondnews, Gishiri Youth Advocate, Mr. John Madalla Maikasuwa, revealed that the community is still awaiting compensation for the demolition that occurred in 2023.
Bemoaning the demolition, Maikasuwa lamented that Gishiri is their ancestral homeland, and with nowhere else to go, they are faced with an uncertain future.
He said: “We are calling for help, we are going through a lot. We cooperated with them when they came for house numbering and capturing in 2024, afterwards they came for evaluation.
“After the evaluation they valued one bedroom flat for N100,000 – N300,000 some buildings were valued at N50,000. They told us they are using the compensation plan of 2013, how do you use compensation plan of 12 years ago in 2025 is the price of building materials the same? Is the price of cement in 2013 the same with 2025?.
“Considering the compensation plan If you buy a bag of cement for N3000 in 2013 and now a bag of cement in Gishiri is N9900 do you think you can even do foundation with the merger compensation been given.
“This community is under pressure, some of our parents are in the hospital due to the continuous demolition in the community. Everything we have labored for is gone, we are crying out to the whole world to come to our rescue.
“The demolition matter is in court and the court has already ruled that until the issues are settled no demolition should go on, we are shocked today to see the Minister and his team for demolition. Wike is a lawyer and we expect him to uphold court injunctions.”
Mrs. Shekwosa Sunday, a shop owner affected by the demolition, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene and provide fair compensation for traders and alternative housing for those displaced.
She said: “I am calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene. He is the only father we have. He should see ways he can compensate us, the traders whose goods were destroyed, and help relocate those whose houses were destroyed.”
Details later…
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