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Villagers, hoodlums prevent FCTA from removing buildings under high tension

Published

2 years ago

November 7, 2022

Some villagers and hoodlums at Magaji PE Community, under Jabi District in Abuja, on Sunday prevented officials of the FCT Administration’s Department of Development Control from removing illegal buildings under high tension wires in the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the villagers on Sunday comprised young men, women and the old.

They turned out in large numbers and angrily vowed that if officials of the FCT insist on going ahead to remove the buildings, they will stone them.

Sensing that trouble and tension are already heightening in the area, the officials, along with their few security men, tactically withdrew from the area in order to avoid a total breakdown of law and order.

Reacting to the development, the Director of the Department, Mukhtar Galadima, described the situation as very unfortunate and completely unacceptable by the FCT Administration.

He explained that the Department earlier issued vacation notices to those occupying illegal structures built under high tension wires in Magaji PE Community.

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Galadima stated that by the rules and regulations of Urban and Regional Planning and Abuja Master Plan, the Department would not allow any building under high tension wires, noting that the whole essence of government is to protect lives and properties.

He said: “What happened here today is really unfortunate.

“We decided to tactically withdraw to avoid causing more chaos and crisis.

“So the best thing for us was to withdraw from the exercise, pending when tension is down and then we will be adequately prepared to go back and do what is necessary.

“The operation is part of our weekend programme of activities, where we sanitise the city, particularly where we believe there are issues of security challenges or issues of hygiene and other aspects of urbanisation, so we try to move in.

“We have done that at Apo, some part of resettlement centre B and other parts of the city.

“Even last week, we came here and started the operation, but because time was against us, we moved out and decided to return today.”

The Director stated that the Department, in all of this, is making efforts to save lives and protect properties of citizens.

Galadima added: “One fundamental issue that people should know is that it is not because we are high handed, rather we are trying to save lives and protect properties because right over the village is high tension cable.

“And there are some buildings under the high tension which we are trying to remove.

“But unfortunately, the occupants of the houses, both indigenes and non indigenes, mobilised and tried to challenge the authority, but what needs to be done must be done.

“The essence of government is to protect lives and properties and by our rules and regulations, we are not to allow any building under high tension cables.”

Galadima revealed that when next the Department would go back to remove the buildings, it would make adequate security and logistics arrangements.

He said: “We earlier issued vacation notices to them and we even called the Head of the village for a meeting so that we can engage them and tell them why we are doing the operation.

“We are not going to remove the indigenous community.

“What we are removing are the buildings under the high tension and trees that are becoming hideout for criminals in the area.”

Eagle

Related Topics:buildings FCTA high tension Villagers

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.