The residents of Kabusa in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have cried out over the sudden and wanton destruction of buildings and personal belongings by the FCTA’s department of development control.
The destruction, which took place on Friday, was said to have been carried out in a commando style without due process and reckless disregard for the rule of engagement, all in the guise of land recovery to an allottee.
During a press conference, residents complained that the FCTA executed the “evil and callous” demolition of their properties, treating them “as animals and lesser beings by their own government.”
Solomon Ajayi, the spokesman for the residents, said, “These agents of the government, in collaboration with the supposed allottee, sinisterly executed the wanton destruction of the area without dialoguing with the occupants. And without adequate notification except the marking of houses that were effected on April 12.”
Mr Ajayi added, “Less than a month after the marking, they came back with bulldozers without any form of warning or notification to execute their evil plot.”
According to him, the FCTA, to cover up their evil and shove aside the moral burden of their calamitous action, went to the press to claim that they had a dialogue with the affected residents, as reported in the Leadership newspaper on May 6.
“The question now is where and when did the director of the department of development control, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, hold the meetings with the community leaders and the so-called land-grabbers? We challenge the director to provide evidence of such dialogue and the several warnings and notices from the department that justified this act of inhumanity,” Mr Ajayi explained.
Another resident, Glory Frank, said she was sad after the FCTA destroyed her family’s property and rendered them homeless.
“Please let the department of development control provide evidence of the various notices they issued. Never at any time did they come to us to dialogue or give us any quit notice,” stated Ms Frank. “It was when our houses were marked that we met on April 15 with the community chief, who promised to take up the matter with the relevant government agency.”
The residents called on the FCTA to come to their aid by ensuring that the allottee initiates and concludes a compensation dialogue, demanding an administrative inquiry to ascertain the enforcement authority’s claim that they duly complied with laid-down processes and regulations in the execution of their statutory mandate.
