FCTA clears over 1,000 shanties in Abuja

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The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished more than 1,000 makeshift structures and illegal shanties blocking a road corridor in Karsana, near the Bunkoro District of Gwarimpa.

Announcing the exercise on Monday, the Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the clearance was carried out during a citywide sanitation operation by the FCTA’s joint task force, which targeted squatters and individuals described as “persons of questionable character” occupying the area.

Galadima stated that the operation intentionally avoided the homes of indigenous inhabitants, but he emphasized that the clearance would continue until the entire two-kilometer stretch of the road was completely free of obstructions.

“Today’s exercise is carried out along the proposed Ring Road 3 corridor at the intersection of N16 and RR3, where we have the Map Global Estate,” Galadima said. “You can see the shanties, squatters, and people of questionable character. This is part of our citywide sanitation exercise to enhance security, and we are here today to continue as planned.”

He noted that most of the structures were temporary shacks, adding that “So far, we have cleared more than 1,000 structures, and we are about to continue because the work is enormous. The stretch of the road is as long as two kilometers, all consisting of shacks and shanties.”

He added that further clearance activities would continue in collaboration with the Department of Resettlement to identify genuine properties belonging to indigenes.

The FCTA’s Director of the Command and Control Unit, Peter Olumuji, who was representing the Director of Security, Adamu Gwary, said the operation highlighted the connection between development control and security, though no arrests were made.