On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) tore down at least eleven apartment buildings, containing three and four-bedroom units, in the Apo-Dutse area.
Mukhtar Galadima, the FCTA’s director of development control, stated that the demolition was necessary because the builder did not follow construction rules and ignored all warnings.
Mr. Galadima also explained that the estate’s location made the destruction unavoidable. He said the estate was not only situated beneath power lines, but also blocking a future bridge project.
“This land was officially allocated. They requested permission and applied for building plan approval, which we denied due to its closeness to a power line and a waterway. Therefore, we refused to grant approval, yet they proceeded with construction.
“We have issued warnings since the initial digging stage and at various points in the building process. We even formally notified them to halt work. But regrettably, perhaps due to their organization and authority, they continued regardless,” he clarified.
Mr. Galadima also mentioned that the FCDA’s engineering division informed his department about plans to build a bridge in that specific part of the district.
“So, we are left with no choice,” he added.
He confirmed that no payments would be made for the destroyed buildings.
He stated that payments are only provided for properties with proper authorization that are affected by development projects.
He added that in this instance, the demolished property lacked authorization.
He also suggested that the developers may face legal action and be required to cover the penalties, including the cost of the demolition.
