Estate owners in the Trademore area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have protested against the planned demolition of houses in the area.
The Federal Capital Development Authority plans to demolish approximately 2,000 houses in the Trademore area of the Federal Capital Territory on Monday, July 3, 2023.
The President of the Trademore Resident Association stated that 40,000 residents would be relocated if the scheduled demolition exercise goes through.
Adenaike, on the other hand, highlighted that alternate options may be explored as he refuted the assertion that the estate’s location was an illegal settlement.
He said “We have been reliably informed that the authorities are coming tomorrow (today) to demolish 2000 houses and displaced 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 per cent 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”.
Following the terrible flooding catastrophe that occurred at the Phase 2 end of the estate last Friday after hours of downpour, the FCT authorities classified the estate located along the Lugbe-Airport Expressway a disaster zone.
Shehu Ahmed, the Executive Secretary of the FCDA, stated in a statement on Sunday that a police station in Trademore, as well as other buildings, would be demolished following the FCDA’s warning to people to abandon 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.
