Kayode Shopekan
More than 100 illegal shops, built around Kubwa village market where a fire outbreak caused by Kerosine explosion burnt seven persons to death last week in Abuja, have been demolished by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.
The Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, carried out the demolition to correct contraventions that have constituted environmental nuisances within the territory.
Chairman of the Committee, Ikharo Attah said the FCT Ministers, both Malam Muhammad Bello and Dr Ramatu Aliyu were not happy with the continued contraventions in the area and have directed that the cleanup exercise be carried out, to prevent further life and safety threatening incidents.
Attah noted that even the FCT Commissioner of Police, Sunday Babaji reiterated commitment to providing security backup for every operation targeted at tackling illegalities and criminalities within the nation’s capital.
Attah who expressed dismay that residents and traders have continued to violate the developmental blueprint, leading to deaths of innocent people, also said, that the illegal shops were built directly under electricity high tension installations, while many were used to block access roads, making it difficult for rescue operations, in an event of a fire emergency.
According to him, occupiers of these illegal shops had been put on notice for a very long time now, as many of their kiosks and illegal extension structures were removed.
He said, “We have always been on this road axis for the past three years, trying to clean it up and we have always had intense problems. We have cleared the road to the market which was blocked for about six years.
“But in the aftermath of the fire incident wherein about 7 persons lost their lives, we had no option than to do what we believe is the right thing. We have given notices for people to quit the illegal shops.
” Even at the very shop where the explosion happened, we had removed that tank. We will remove all the illegal shops because the community has been blocked,” he added.
Follow Us