By Atoyebi Nike
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced plans to demolish illegal settlements in Abuja’s city centre, beginning with shanties in Area 1 and Durumi, after a recent security operation led to the arrest of over 120 miscreants.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, stressing that the move is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts across the capital.
According to Olayinka, the affected areas have become operational bases for kidnappers, drug peddlers, armed robbers, and “one-chance” operators. During a raid that lasted more than three hours, security agencies recovered stolen vehicles, 79 motorcycles, and 155 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards snatched from unsuspecting victims.
“The high-level criminal activities in these shanties cannot be allowed to continue,” Olayinka said. “The Minister has already constituted a Stakeholders Committee made up of security agencies, civil society, and members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to ensure a safer city.”
He explained that the illegal structures had previously been demolished but reappeared, allowing criminals to regroup. The return of the shanties, he said, has hindered land allottees and even government agencies from developing their allocated plots for more than 20 years.
The administration insists that the demolition of shanties is not only about restoring order and safety but also about enabling urban development.
In November 2024, the FCTA said it had demolished 11,705 illegal shanty colonies between January and October. Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, noted at the time that the exercise also cleared flood-prone areas in Lugbe, Jahi, and Lokogoma, while creating more than 13,000 jobs.
Most recently, the administration cleared the “Cashew Garden” settlement in Apo, which had become a notorious base for miscreants. Authorities have also warned that plot owners who tolerate illegal settlers on their lands risk losing their allocations.
