The Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA) has advised residents of Lugbe, a suburb in Abuja, to vacate the area, as the demolitions that took place there on Tuesday are a precursor of further government action.

Hamza Madaki, a deputy director in the Department of Development Control of the FCTA, yesterday, said that the airport road is a gateway to the city and that no shanties will be tolerated along this expressway.

Mr. Madaki said that the FCTA had long concluded plans to demolish the Lugbe suburb, but a court case had delayed the exercise.

“We have tried to remove Lugbe on a number of occasions. I addressed them in January this year, and before the end of February, I gave them a notice to pack out, that we are going to demolish the place.

“They are aware, and we would have finished everything by now if not for the court case that held us back. So, as soon as soon the judgment was read, we swung into action,” said Mr. Madaki.


Sudden destruction

Residents of the suburb were gripped with panic when, on Tuesday, bulldozers arrived at the area and began pulling down houses, shops, and churches located on the fringes of the town.

A faction of Lugbe residents had filed a suit asking the court to order FCT authorities to stay action on the demolition exercise, but the case was quashed. Within minutes of the court judgement, bulldozers arrived in the suburb, almost as if the FCTA had known the eventual outcome of the judgment.

But residents are not folding their arms. Mr. Mustapha, a prince and chairman of the Lugbe Residents Association, and three others filed a suit yesterday, appealing the judgment in court.

Mr. Mustapha said the initial court action, which ended in Tuesday’s demolitions, was an act of sabotage. He said there were ongoing talks with the government on how to resolve the matter amicably, before a faction led by John Okonkwo filed a suit against the government.

“They filed a suit without the mandate of the whole residents. We see them as saboteurs who have collected money from the government to betray us,” he said.

Residents described the destruction as insensitive. They accused the federal government of being oblivious to plight of the masses.

“We want them to allocate the plots to us and give us their plan,” said Mr. Mustapha. “We are ready to pay, but for them to evict us, demolish the place, and allocate it to other people is unfair on us.”


The fight continues

The bulldozers have since moved out of Lugbe, but there are indications that they will return soon.

Mr. Madaki said it was the notice of appeal that necessitated the temporary suspension of the exercise.

“Why we stayed action is because of the appeal. We are waiting for advice from our legal unit, and as soon as we get the final clearance, we will go back to Lugbe. My advice to them is to pack out before it is too late,” he warned.

Some residents who did not have the funds to transport their household items were selling them off at give-away prices, while some landlords were selling their buildings for as low as N5000 per unit.

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