60 Soldiers, 40 Policemen Deployed as FCTA Demolishes Estate

No fewer than 60 soldiers and 40 policemen were on ground at the Saraha City Estate, Gwarinpa Abuja as the Department of Development Control, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) began the demolition of about 200 houses in the estate.

The demolition team which arrived at the estate yesterday morning, sealed off the two gates leading to the estate and drafted armed soldiers to area to prevent residents from going in or coming out from the estate. Many of the house owners who had gone to their places of work before the demolition team arrived later came and met their buildings pulled down.

Several people were said to have been critically injured and properties worth billions of naira were destroyed in the cause of the exercise.

Lawyer to the house owners, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), expressed shock over the incidence and described the demolition as illegal, especially as the matter is pending before Abuja High Court 24. He promised to take up the matter with FCDA and the court.