The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council of the Federal Capital Administration has explained the demolition of a mechanic shed and a building at Plot 1765 in the Games Village area of the FCT, on Thursday.
The AMMC said the plot was given to the council in 2012 for building Senior Staff Housing Estate.
Speaking to reporters after the demolition, the AMMC Director of Admin and Finance, Naziru Isa, said the demolition on Thursday marked the end of efforts by the AMMC to regain the plot.
He also mentioned that the unauthorized settlers had prevented the contractor from starting the construction on the plot.
Isa explained, “What you have seen today is not a sudden event. It has been a situation that has been ongoing. Three years ago, the council wanted to take control of its housing estate. But upon visiting the site, they found unauthorized construction on the plots.
“There was a private school and a mechanic workshop on this land, Plot number 1765. The warnings were given by the officials, and it was processed for enforcement. Then, when it was approved for enforcement, the office began the removal. This led to a protest by the Games Village Association, which halted the development, and a committee was formed.”
Isa added that the committee had submitted its report after investigating the plot, following which the Minister of the FCT had permitted the housing development.
Additionally, the Assistant Director of Urban Affairs at the AMMC, Abubakar Makama, said the plot was given to the council in 2012, by the then Minister of the FCT, Nasir El-Rufai, and explained that the council had previously issued eviction notices, and obtained all necessary documents, including the Right of Occupancy, and receipts and tellers from the Abuja Geographic Information System, supporting their ownership of the plot.
“We notified the management of Games Village several times before the demolition today, and we have the correspondences to back up our actions.
“This is not a new development. We began the demolition around four months ago, and we only completed the process today, with all the relevant documents in place. We must acknowledge that the issue has been ongoing for three years,” he said.
