It was lamentations galore as bitter cries rent the air for most part of Wednesday and Thursday as many residents of Gishiri District in the Federal Capital City of Abuja looked lost following the work of demolition men who pulled down about 5,000 structures.

It is the second time in a few months that the government demolishers will be visiting the community for security reasons and to clear the place for official plot owners.

In a report, Abuja Digest, the government online newspaper, explained further the reason for the work that has brought pain and sorrow to many homes: Not yet satisfied with security threats posed by Gishiri community, authorities of the FCT Administration have stagged a return to the village, pulling down more than 5000 shanties.

Department of Development Control’s District Monitor for Katampe and Mabushi, Samson Atureta, who led the exercise on Wednesday, explained that, apart from harbouring hoodlums who constitute challenge to security of lives and property, the illegal structures were sitting on people’s plots; adding that the allottees have written to be given access to their property for development.

He further stated that a portion of the affected area was reserved for the development of a multipurpose recreational; adding that his department has always done due diligence before removing any illegal structure in the Territory.

Calling on genuine owners of landed property in Gishiri to hurry up and take possession of their property, Atureta disclosed that some of the plots were been divided and sold to unsuspecting members of the public.

His words: “We needed to follow due procedures, and that’s why we are here after we got approval to remove the encroachments, so we have been doing it in bits, now we are about 60-70 per cent in the removal of the illegalities there”.

“And since we started, we must have removed at least 5,000 shanties or illegal developments in Gishiri,” he said.

▪︎  Additional report and photo by Abuja Digest per Wisdom Acka