ABUJA — Following the raid on an uncompleted building believed to be a hideout of Boko Haram members near the legislative quarters at Apo, Abuja, last Friday by the Department of State Service, DSS, which claimed 10 lives, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) announced, yesterday, that 100,435 illegal, uncompleted buildings have been marked for demolition.

FCT minister, Senator Bala Mohammed disclosed this when the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Safety and National Security visited his office on oversight duties. According to him, 100,000 illegal buildings and 435 uncompleted houses have so far been identified in the FCT to be pulled down. He explained that his administration would no longer condone the delays by developers in completing their buildings, after being allocated plots of land.

Said he: “Very soon, we will take a decisive action on uncompleted buildings in the FCT. We will ensure that all buildings that have exceeded the two-year period approved for building will be demolished. If we cannot demolish, we will make them police posts. This time around, we will take a definite action,” he said.

Owner of Apo killings house identified

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA has formally come up with the identity of the owner of the property, declaring that it belongs to Adunni Oluwola Salisu, a civilian, contrary to speculation that a General owns the property.
*SSS Raid Boko Haram in Abuja: Uncompleted building where Boko Haram members reside behind Apo Legislative Quarter in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan .

SSS Raid Boko Haram in Abuja: Uncompleted building where Boko Haram members reside behind Apo Legislative Quarter in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan .

The disclosure came just as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika insisted that artisans arrested during the encounter last Friday were terrorists, considering ammunition recovered from them

The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed at a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Public Safety and National Security investigating the incident explained that the said plot of land was allocated in 2007 and obtained a building plan approval from the Development Control Department granted in 2009.

Also speaking with Vanguard yesterday, the Director, Development Control, FCDA, Yahaya Yusuf gave the name of the owner of the said property as Adunni Oluwola Salisu.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika who also spoke with newsmen after a closed-door session with the committee, said that, “considering the ammunition recovered, in addition to arms and weapons from suspects and from the fact that on approach to the area, the personnel were fired at and had to return fire and also made arrests, there is no doubt that those people were terrorists.”

When asked if he believed that the operation was successful beside the killings, he said: “Well, I will say that the operation has succeeded in pre-empting planned attacks on some parts of the FederalCapitalTerritory.”

The Army boss explained that the operation was not the first as his men succeeded in intercepting several intended terrorist attacks on the FCT in recent times.

He said the information on the activities of the terrorist group around Apo area could not be turned down because security agents had conducted a thorough investigation before making the move to remove the explosives.

The attack, according to him, was coordinated by the Commander, Guards Brigade and was carried to intercept hidden improvised explosive devices (IED) in a cemetery in the area.

Motorcycle, tricycle operators issue ultimatum

Meanwhile, the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owner’s and Riders Association of Nigeria (NATOMORAS) yesterday gave the Federal Government seven days ultimatum to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the killing of eight tricycle operators in Apo and if the government fails to meet the ultimatum, it will shut down the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

Reacting yesterday in Abuja for the first time since the incident happened last Friday at a one-day seminar on the challenges of tricycle and okada operators in FCT, NATOMORAS FCT Chairman, Alhaji Usman Buba Gwoza lamented that their members were gruesomely murdered without just reason. He stressed that the association appreciated the support of good Nigerians, the Senate and Human Rights Commission for lending their voices for justice to be done.

Integrity test for uncompleted buildings

Speaking further, the FCTA Minister who announced that there were 435 uncompleted, but abandoned buildings scattered across the Federal Capital City that were already undergoing integrity test for re-validation of approval to continue development, stressed that being apprehensive of negative possible impact on the environment, he had earlier directed the FCT Development Control Department to take census of all uncompleted and abandoned structures in the city to ensure that they all undergo integrity test.

According to him, any of such uncompleted building that fails integrity test would be demolished to safeguard lives, adding that the outcome of the census would be used by the Administration and the security agencies in preventing miscreants from using such areas for unlawful activities. He also warned that the FCT Administration will use the census to clean up the city and that where miscreants were found, owners of such buildings will have themselves to blame.

He said: “The FCT Administration will use the outcome of that census which had earlier been advertised to swing into action. Members of the public are enjoined to be vigilant at all times and report suspicious activities to law enforcement agents.”

Speaking further, NATOMORAS FCT chairman said, “We call on the federal government to immediately set up commission of inquiry to unravel the mystery behind this inhuman act. Killing of innocent and armless citizens of our great nation should not be tolerated by caring and loving government. We shall immediately be embarking on protest throughout the entire FCT if this is not met within seven days,” he said.

Buba Gwoza who noted that eight years after the ban on commercial motorcycles in the capital territory, FCT administration has refused to fulfil its promise to provide tricycle as an alternative to those affected during the ban He said that the association has over 15,000 tricycle and 80,000 okada operators in FCT, adding that 20,000 motorcycles of its members have been impounded since the ban of okada in the capital territory without informing the association on the guidelines to recover them.

Speaking at the event, Chairman, Senate Committee on MDGs, Senator Ali Ndume who appealed to the association to shelve its proposed protest until the Senate looks into the Apo killing, however warned that the fight against terrorism should not be an excuse to take innocent lives, adding that there was no law in the country banning the operation of okada, adding that he would not know why government should wake up and ban okada in FCT.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/09/abuja-killings-fct-demolish-100435-buildings/

U mean ds Fine house?

That still doesn't change the fact that those people might have been innocent, homeless destitutes.
My reason is: I for one' do not think that BH boys would come into Abuja, and go expose themselves in such an open place. If they were that foolish, I think their menace would have been curbed already.
They have been able to create an authentic motive out of the situation though.

Watch and see how this action will be used as a vendetta against "political enemies". Even houses currently undergoing construction might not be spared, especially if it's deemed to belong to a "wrong person". Knowing how to derail a good purpose for selfish desires is almost an inbred quality here.

Extom: That still doesn't change the fact that those people might have been innocent, homeless destitutes.
My reason is: I for one' do not think that BH boys would come into Abuja, and go expose themselves in such an open place. If they were that foolish, I think their menace would have been curbed already.
They have been able to create an authentic motive out of the situation though.

Bro,this is not a question of "might"those guys were not terrorist,everybody knows the kind of system our security agencies play,imagine they said they discovered large quantities of amunination there,what a lie,just to justified they illegal act,you attack bokoharram and killed ten without resistance,haba,are we that dumb,only in my country that a life of a commonal worth nothing.

Wonder Shall Never End

Innocent citizens whose right of basic amenities - right to proper shelta, right to good health, right to electricity & water, right to educatn - were denied them & as if dat is nt enuf, they were pursuid right into th rathole were they were squartn & kild then label them terorists! As they if the securities dnt knw dat terorist stay in expensive hotels & govt liaison ofices! And al d blood suckn security agencies united to cova dis henious crime against humanity! Life hs truely becom worthles in nigeria! Rip to dead am sure most or al of u voted for fresh air - nw it hs sent u to ur early graves caus if d govt is a responsibl govt, 3 years would av bn enough to provid u at least basic shelta & adeguate security! Its realy painfl d way govt security agencies kp wastn d lives of inocent citizens while terorists & criminals roam d streets witout encumbrance. I stil blv dat 1 day we wil get it right!