By Excellence Oseose
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the removal of illegal occupants and structures from a disputed plot in Jabi, Abuja, following security concerns and the need to restore compliance with the area’s approved land-use plan.
The exercise, carried out by the Development Control Department in collaboration with security agencies, targeted Plot 82, Sector Centre B16, which the administration said had been encroached upon by occupants of the adjoining Jabi Motor Park.
Speaking during the operation, Secretary of the FCT Command and Control Centre, Security Services Department, Dr Peter Olumuji, said security personnel were deployed to ensure a peaceful exercise and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
Olumuji explained that the clearance followed repeated complaints by residents of neighbouring communities, particularly Utako, over security threats associated with the illegal occupation of the property.
He said removing unauthorised occupants would eliminate potential hiding places for criminal elements and enable the rightful owners to take possession of the land.
The official also disclosed that compliance among affected occupants had been high, as many had begun voluntarily removing their belongings following earlier notices issued by the Development Control Department.
Also speaking, Sector Monitor of the Development Control Department, Rilwan Tsoho Dangora, clarified that Plot 82 and the adjoining Plot 187, occupied by Jabi Motor Park, were separate parcels of land with different approved purposes.
According to him, Plot 187 was designated for an International Motor and Bus Terminal but had largely been occupied by shops.
He explained that construction activities within the motor park had forced some commercial transport operators, including bus and taxi drivers, to relocate to Plot 82, which they subsequently began using as an extension of the park.
Dangora dismissed claims by some occupants that Plot 82 formed part of the motor park, insisting that the two properties were distinct under the approved land-use plan.
He further disclosed that the rightful owners of Plot 82 had secured approval for a multifunctional development and were ready to commence construction, necessitating the removal of unauthorised occupants and structures.
On the notice issued to affected occupants, Dangora said the department had engaged them since last year, adding that the process began under previous officials.
He said additional notices, including a final demolition notice, were served on the occupants in the week preceding the clearance exercise.
The FCTA said the operation was part of its ongoing efforts to enforce approved land-use regulations, protect property rights and ensure orderly physical development across the territory.
