LAND SWAP PROJECT: FCTA RECLAIMS LAND FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, WARNS AGAINST ILLEGAL OCCUPANCY 

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) today demolished illegal structures in Zaudna, a community under Jiwa Chiefdom in Abuja Municipal Area council (AMAC).

The Director of Development Control, Mr Murktar Galadima said that the community is one of the districts for land swap programme of FCTA where it gives out land to investors who in turn provides infrastructure.

He explained that prior to the demolition exercise, there was a notice with series of meetings with officials of the development control and the natives adding that the illegal structures were causing obstacles for smooth take off of the exercise and will not be tolerated.

“The demolition exercise is one of the programmes approved by the Federal Executive Council, so our responsibility is to ensure that the investor has no obstacle in providing the infrastructure,” he said.

Also, the Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the Minister of FCT, Mr Ikharo Attah, said that owners of the demolished buildings had no land titles, except agreement they signed with the natives on ordinary papers.

He stated that based on the law that made FCT, the administration has been warning people against illegal buying of land because only the minister has the right to approve land.

“We are reclaiming the land earmarked for infrastructural development that has been illegally taken over by some persons that said they bought it from the indigenes. We

came in here and interfaced with the indigenes, they told us that the areas did not concern them,” he said.