The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday demolished a nearly completed mini-estate in Abuja’s Dutse District on safety grounds and sheer contempt for regulatory warnings.
The estate, which was located along Sam Mbakwe Street near Cedar Crest Hospital, contained over 10 duplexes and four two-storey buildings all constructed illegally under a high-tension power line and within a stream channel earmarked for a future bridge construction.
Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, head of operation, said that the developers submitted an application for building approval but were turned down as the land was not appropriate. They continued with the construction work despite multiple stop-work notices and written warnings.
They made an application for building approval, and we turned it down since the land is close to a high-tension wire and a stream channel. However, they ignored our directive and went ahead with the project,” Galadima stated.
He said that the government deliberately allowed the project to get to a conspicuous stage before demolition so as to set an example for the developers’ noncompliance.
“As a responsible institution, when you’re given a notice, you should stop. If you don’t, we’ll let you waste your money and we’ll bring it down,” he said.
Galadima also conceded that the land allocation was made in error but ruled out any compensation of any sort, saying: “Compensation is only for approved buildings. Here, there was no approval, and they were asked to stop at the excavation level.”
In a new enforcement directive, Galadima announced that defaulters would now be made to pay for the cost of demolitions, in line with urban planning laws.
“It’s part of the law those whose structures are demolished must bear the cost. We’re working with the legal secretariat to begin enforcement,” he said.
He also informed that the FCTA had commenced procuring new demolition equipment approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to improve future enforcement.
Galadima advised the aggrieved developer to formally apply for another plot via the due FCTA process.
