Some officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have been arrested by the police after they demolished 11 duplexes that were built under a high-tension power line in the Apo-Dutse area of Abuja.
The demolished buildings belong to the Police Pension Commission.
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The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, visited the site on Friday evening and expressed anger over the situation. He said it was shameful that a government agency like the police would ignore the law they are supposed to protect.
Wike said: “Yesterday, I received a report that some buildings were being built under a high-tension line. The Development Control Department tried to stop the work, but the police arrested the officers who came to enforce the law. That is why I came here to see it myself.”
The minister added that the Development Control Department had refused to approve the construction because of the dangerous location.
“You can see the high-tension line passing over the area. It is risky. Even if there was no high-tension line, once you don’t get approval, you have no right to continue building,” he said.
Wike warned that the government would not tolerate lawlessness, no matter who is involved.
“The law must be obeyed. The police should be enforcing the rules, not breaking them,” he said.
The Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, explained that the land, located at Plot 189, Cadastral Zone B14, Dutse District, was given to the Nigeria Police Force in 2018 for institutional use.
He said when the police applied for building approval, officials discovered the site was directly under a high-tension line and refused approval.
“We informed them in writing, but they ignored our warnings and continued construction,” Galadima said.
He also revealed that the Engineering Department had already marked the site for a flood-control bridge, making the buildings illegal.
“When our officers went to stop the construction, the police detained them. I reported the matter to the minister, and he quickly intervened,” Galadima added.