The Federal Capital Territory Ministerial Task Force on City Sanitation on Wednesday demolished no fewer than three schools in the Dutse area of the nation’s capital for violating the Abuja Master Plan.

Other structures demolished included shops, car marts and shanties in communities along Bwari-Dutse road corridors.

Also demolished were illegal dumpsites in Jabu layout within Kubwa FO1 as well as a lounge built on waterways in the area.

The chairman of the task force, Ikharo Attah, said all the properties affected had no appropriate titles, adding that they were obstructing the road corridors.

He added that despite the notice given to them, occupants of the structures stayed put.

He said, “Since we started at Iddo, Mpape, Nyanya and even the city centre, we have not entered into the Kubwa axis, and we have received many calls to come to Kubwa and Dutse axis.

“Today, we came into Dutse-Alhaji and Kubwa axis, containing clear illegalities notorious for heavy traffic gridlock in the area.

“So, we are here to actually clear this alignment, and remove all of these properties that breached the Abuja Masterplan.

“We also took a downward stretch towards Dutse Makaranta, in which we could not finish removing many illegal structures around the alignment there, but we are hopeful that we will actually come back to continue the clean-up here.

“And we also went to clear some very terrible criminals’ den, where scavengers occupied inside part of Kubwa FO1, removal of the structures is aimed at restoring the Abuja Masterplan, and all those who live in Kubwa here will be very happy, as the extreme gridlock here will all disappear.

“It’s pathetic, because everyone here got notice, but they just sat down, as they don’t care, and we can’t continue living like this.

“What pains me most is that we gave notice, and I even insisted that the Development Control Department give a second notice. So, they gave first and second notice, but people then wiped them off, believing that the government would not come.”

The Secretary, FCT Security Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, said the demolished structures were habouring criminal elements in the area.

He said, “This part of Kubwa FO1 is a new developing site which harbours a lot of scavengers.

“This axis, once it is 7 pm, you can’t have thorough fair here, because hoodlums always attack anybody passing through this road, some few years ago, they killed a policeman, and stabbed another there, using different dangerous weapons, that’s why we have come to rid the place of criminal elements there.”

(The PUNCH)

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