Wike bares fangs again, orders demolition of scavengers’ colony in Abuja

In a bid to sanitize Nigeria’s capital city, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of a scavengers’ colony located along the corridor cutting across Mabushi, Jahi and Kado districts in the metropolis.

The former Rivers State Governor who gave the order in Abuja on Tuesday when he visited the area known popularly as ‘Road N12’ behind the Ministers Quarters in Mabushi district of the FCT, described the colony as a threat to the security of the city.

The colony is one of the FCT’s most notorious slums which has been taken over by scavengers popularly known as ‘Baban Bola’, including mechanics and furniture makers.

Wike who was accompanied on the visit by a combined team of security personnel and senior officials of FCT administration, said his administration would spare no efforts to rid the city of criminal elements and take the city back to its original plans.

He added that the scavengers’ colony was a dens of criminals and such would not be allowed in the FCT.

Wike also warned against planting trees in areas where the government had mapped out for development as the colony was encouraged by the thick canopy of cashew trees planted by the indigenous people of the FCT for speculative purposes.

READ ALSO:‘Our laws cannot be a replica of yours,’ Wike faults EU’s report on 2023 elections

The Minister ordered the Development Control Department and the Federal Capital Development Authority to clear the entire area and take a scope of the road for preliminary works.

“This is a hideout of criminals, and the communities should stop planting trees in the area,” he said

“When they see that the government intends to develop the road, they come and plant crops for the government to pay compensation. We are not going to do any compensation.

“The Development Control must clear this area, chase out all these criminals. You should not pay them any compensation. These are the kind of things you see that people commit crimes and then before you know it, they run down here for cover and people will be saying oh, FCT is not safe.

“It is not a question of giving them notice. There is no notice. You must chase them out now and clear the entire area,” he ordered.

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