The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Bala Mohammed, has said that illegal and uncompleted buildings in Abuja metropolis will be demolished.
Mohammed made this known in Abuja on Thursday at a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Public Safety and National Security.
On Sept. 20, seven persons, alleged to be members of the Boko Haram sect, were killed by security operatives at an uncompleted building near Apo Legislative Quarters in Abuja.
He said that the FCT administration would no longer condone any delay by developers in completing their buildings after being allocated plots of land.
According to him, 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 it a Police Post, this time around we will take a definite action,” he said.
The minister blamed the inability of the FCT Department of Development Control to carry out its mandate on frivolous court injunctions obtained by developers.
He said that between 3,000 and 5,000 double allocations existed in the territory due to revocation and re-allocation of plots as a result of court injunctions.
According to him, 100,000 illegal buildings have been identified since he took over as minister of the FCT.
Mohammed said that the issue of squatter residences in the FCT had been extensively discussed with security agencies.
He solicited the support of the National Assembly to address the challenge of illegal structures in the territory.
Alhaji Yahaya Yusuf, Director of FCT Development Control, said that the uncompleted building where the killing took place belonged to a woman.
He said that 435 uncompleted buildings were at various locations in the FCT.
Yusuf said that some owners of such buildings had complied with the control’s directive to carry out integrity test on such buildings while some had not.
He explained that anyone given allocation of land in the territory was expected to commence the development of such plot within six months after allocation.
Yusuf said that the incessant court injunctions being obtained by developers were hampering the job of the agency.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Bello Mutawalle (PDP-Zamfara) called for the demolition of the uncompleted building where the killing took place.
However, after plea by some members of the committee to allow the Senate to carry out an investigation on the matter, the chairman reversed his earlier position.
The committee also met with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika behind close-door.
