By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Friday stormed Apo-Dutse District in Abuja, where 11 duplexes built by the Nigeria Police Force under high-tension power lines were demolished by the Development Control Department.
Wike, visibly angered, condemned what he described as a brazen abuse of power by the Police, following the arrest and detention of FCT Development Control enforcement officials who carried out the demolition.
“Government is here to enforce rules, not to break them. How can anybody take such a risk, building directly under high-tension lines? Even if there were no high tension, once Development Control says no approval, nobody has the right to take the law into their hands just because they have force”, Wike declared.
According to him, the Nigerian Police had earlier applied for approval to develop the land, but the request was turned down on safety grounds.
“They refused to stop, they went ahead. When Development Control came here to do the right thing, the officers were arrested. That is unacceptable. I will take this up with the appropriate authorities because this cannot stand,” Wike vowed.
Wike expressed shock that an institution charged with enforcing the law would openly violate planning regulations and endanger lives.
He assured residents that the FCT Administration would not hesitate to enforce planning laws, regardless of the status of the violator.
“Imagine the danger if these duplexes had been completed and people started living here. One spark, and hundreds of lives would be lost. We cannot fold our arms and allow impunity in the name of development,” Wike warned.
The minister promised to formally raise the matter with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who he said was out of town and may not have been aware of the development, insisting that Abuja’s masterplan must not be compromised under any guise.
The Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, who accompanied the minister, disclosed that the disputed land – Plot 189, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse – was allocated to the Police in 2018 for institutional development.
He explained that the department denied approval after observing that the plot fell directly beneath high-tension transmission lines and also within the route of a proposed flood-control bridge.
“We wrote to them clearly stating why we could not grant approval. They ignored our letters and notices, proceeded with excavation and construction, and even after we attached a copy of a letter from the Department of Engineering about the bridge, they still defied us.
“Yesterday, we had no option but to move in and enforce compliance. Unfortunately, our officials were detained by the Police until the minister intervened.”
The Administration had on Thursday demolished the 11 duplexes for blatant violation of city planning regulations, warning that developers who ignore official directives will not only lose their investments but also face stiff penalties.
The duplexes, located along Garba Duba Street in Apo-Dutse District, were erected directly under high-tension electricity lines and across stream channels, raising serious safety and environmental concerns.
Galadima, who led the enforcement team had said the owners were repeatedly warned but chose to defy the law.
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