The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has executed a demolition operation targeting more than 200 structures in the Nuwalege community along Airport Road in Abuja. The purpose of this exercise is to facilitate the recovery of land belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, making room for the expansion of the presidential fleet area.
The demolition, conducted over the weekend by the FCT Department of Development Control, aimed to clear the area earmarked for the enhancement of the presidential fleet zone. Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the Department of Development Control, spoke to journalists following the demolition, shedding light on the process and the motivations behind it.
Galadima revealed that the Chief of Air Staff had approached the FCT administration in October 2023, expressing the Nigerian Air Force’s intention to remove squatters from the specified land. Subsequently, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike emphasized to the Department of Development Control that it was the responsibility of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to address the issue of squatters.
“We informed the residents residing on the Nigeria Air Force land about the impending action and granted them a two-month window to pack their belongings,” Galadima stated. He further explained that when the Air Force approached the FCTA, they communicated the FCTA’s policy on relocation and resettlement of indigenous communities. However, the relocation process specifically targeted non-indigenous residents to vacate the location, ensuring that the Air Force could take possession of the land.
