By Festus Fifen
In a continued effort to make sure FCT is safe for all, Officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have begun profiling of areas worst hit by kidnappers around Bwari and other parts of satellite towns near the lower Usman Dam.
The Director, of the Department of Development Control Federal Capital Territory Administration, Mukhtar Galadima who led the team, said the exercise was to identify and make sure that illegal structures and buildings that serve as safe havens for kidnappers and miscreants are removed
At the commencement of the profiling at Sagwari Layout Estate, Dutse in Bwari Area Council, where kidnappers abducted some residents recently, Galadima said FCTA officials with the support of security personnel will identify buildings without approval and other illegal structures in the area and promptly demolish them.
According to him, the area was surrounded by structures built without the consent of the Development Control Department thereby aiding criminal elements to operate freely.
Represented by the Deputy Director of Monitoring and Enforcement, Hassan Ogbole, Galadima blamed the poor planning and the growing number of illegal structures and buildings on the local community chiefs aided by their kinsmen who engage in indiscriminate sales and allocation of lands without proper approvals
He said after profiling, the department will recommend necessary measures that will curb the activities of criminals.
In his words, “The exercise is a fact-finding mission and part of the department’s periodic monitoring of development, what we came to realize recently is the growing chain of illegal developments within the ecologically sensitive zone to lower Usuman dam, which is supposed to be a secured side.
“Activities of illegal developers are a threat to the FCT Administration and the dam, On several occasions, we have taken steps to carry out enforcement which were not successful, we attribute this to collaboration between developers and the local chief, the chief has records of every person. The place is not accessible, it’s not buildable, and if you go up you can see underage children on top of the rocks.
“The government will not condole this, in physical planning there are places that we reserve, these are reservations. So, we will put up our report and recommendations to the appropriate quarters and see what could be done.
Also speaking The secretary of command and control, Security Department FCT Administration, Dr Peter Olumuji said the lapses were as a result of the illegal activities being promoted by the locals.
Olumuji said, ” What we have seen here shows the level of insensitivity from the village chief, most of the people we interacted with said they got the lands from the village chief, that the man never cares about the safety of lives and property within the area.
“This mountain site that we visited, is where some persons were kidnapped, we have accessed the mountain site, based on the position of development control, which is against the planning template.
“The honorable minister had assured Abuja, residents of their safety, also as a fact-finding mission and confidence building that the administration is not leaving them, we have checked and we will ensure that their security is certain.
“People must also stop buying land from village chiefs, they don’t have the power in FCT to sell land, they are only interested in their monetary gain and not the safety of others”
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