Residents Plead As FCTA Set To Demolish More Houses In Gwarinpa

Residents of 211 Christian Corner Shop in Gwarinpa have pleaded with the Federal Government to spare their homes after more houses were marked for demolition.

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) had on April 21 demolished many houses located along the waterway due to obstruction.

This website had reported how many households said they ‘unexpectedly’ saw bulldozers and operatives of the FCTA showed up to demolish their houses.

Many of the residents said they had received very short notice to evacuate. But THE WHISTLER learnt that the residents were asked to evacuate the area first in 2019, and again on March 18, 2022.

However, when this website visited the area after the first demolition, it was discovered that more houses were marked while some visible structures and extensions on the walkway were asked to be removed.

Our correspondent spoke to Oluwatoyin, whose house was marked for removal. He disclosed that operatives of the FCTA had showed up again to mark leisure outlets within the area.

“They also marked 1105 (a leisure outlet in the area) that they are coming to demolish it. Our chairman who is the leader of 211 Christian Corner shop begged them but they ignored him.

“What we are hearing now is that this place has already been sold. Come to think of it, when they first brought the letter in March, they said they would demolish 10 meters away from the waterway, But the place they demolish is more than 30 meters from the waterway. So, they have rendered some people homeless since yesterday.”

Oluwatoyin noted that he was affected by the demolition, adding that he risked losing his properties to robbers.

Another resident identified as Bunmi said, “I really don’t know what is going on and they just want to frustrate us here. We moved into this place in February and we paid N550,000, and on Thursday they came to destroy houses on the other side. They told us they won’t come to our place only for them to come from nowhere on Friday to mark and we were not expecting them. I am so confused right now; they want to frustrate us in this country. My husband is not around, and I don’t know where to go with my children.”

The mother of three as well as Oluwatoyin pleaded with the government not to demolish their houses because they have nowhere to go.

THE WHISTLER made efforts to reach the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah to comment on the demolition as well as give reasons for the extension, but he neither responded to texts nor calls put across to his phone line.

Recall that the Director of Development Control Department, FCTA Muktar Galadima had said the affected area was a flood region which was initially left open in the event of any flooding.

He noted that the structures marked for demolition were encroaching into the corridors of the waterway.

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