Residents of the Trademore Estate have kicked against the planned demolition of not fewer than 2,000 houses located in the Trademore Area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA.
The President of the Trademore Residents Association, Adewale Adenaike, at a press conference in Abuja said about 40,000 residents would be displaced if the planned demolition exercise is carried out.
Adenaike advised the FCDA to seek “engineering solution” in tackling the problem even as he debunked the claim that the area where the estate is situated was an illegal settlement.
He said: “We have been reliably informed that the authorities are coming on Monday to demolish 2,000 houses and displace over 40,000 Nigerians living in the area. They have described this place as an illegal settlement but during the last elections, we had three polling units here. So, they can come to collect our votes and request payment for electricity bills but we are illegal?
“Years ago, a section of this estate was commissioned by the former Vice President, Namadi Sambo; high-ranking officers are staying in this area, and this is what the FCDA has termed as a disaster zone because they are unapproved. Where were Development Control, FCTA and FCDA when all this development was taking place in an area they termed as illegal?
“Currently, 99 percent of houses in this area are financed by Federal Mortgage Bank which is owned by the Federal Government and the payments are ongoing. So, they financed an illegal settlement”.
Credible News recalls that the FCT authorities had declared the estate located along the Lugbe-Airport Expressway a disaster zone following massive flooding incident that occurred at the Phase 2 end of the estate after hours of downpour recently.
The Director-General of the FCT Emergency Management Agency, Dr Abbas Idriss, said the decision followed the persistent threat to life from flooding at the estate, adding that the FCT Administration placed a high premium on the lives and properties of residents of the estate.
In a statement on Sunday, the Executive Secretary, FCDA, Shehu Ahmed said a police station inside Trademore estate would be demolished and other buildings following earlier warning to residents to evacuate the area.
“By declaring Trademore a disaster zone, we have told the residents there to evacuate. The police station in Trademore would be demolished. It will go alongside other buildings. We have engaged the FCT Police Command and have provided a suitable place for them to operate from and fight crime”, the statement partly read.