From Fred Itua, Abuja
Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have pulled down several commercial structures within the Gwarinpa District, as part of efforts to restore the fidelity of the Abuja Master Plan.
Some of the illegal structures affected were restaurants, car wash stations and others harbouring suspected criminals engaged in drug peddling.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister Attah Ikharo, who led the team, said the administration was concerned about the way people spend hard-earned resources to build illegal structures on road corridors.
“This is part of our ongoing cleanup in Gwarinpa district. There is so much illegality, ungoverned space, inappropriate development, criminal hideouts and activities in the area,” he said.
“This is part of reclaiming Road 69 and we are discovering more and more things we have never seen. Nobody would ever believe people are living here. We also discovered that every single one whose house is close to this road corridor is blocking the windows so that people cannot come into their houses, and many are lifting their fences so that criminals cannot jump in. There are so many shanties, illegal restaurants, mechanic workshops etc.”
