Residents in Apo Tafi in Apo hill, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja have called on the federal government, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and all strategic government offices to come to their aid in order to stop the planned demolition of their houses.
Speaking at a protest rally in Abuja yesterday, the general secretary, Apo Hills Landlords and Residents Association, Miracle Uduma said over 1000 landlords were made to buy lands through developers and given all necessary documents to develop their properties for over six years now, only for them to watch on television where the director of development control, FCT, Mukhtar Galadima said all houses on the Apo hills will be demolished as they are illegal structures.
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He said to their surprise, the developers have not come forward with any explanation as to why the papers given to the investors are being termed fake by the FCDA.
He also stated that the least of the plots of land sold at the area was N5 million, while some landlords bought theirs for as high as N15million.
Speaking on the issue, chairman of Nigerian Institute of Town Planners, FCT chapter, Town Planner Lami Ayuba said the issue is that a lot of developers have decided to exploit the innocent people by selling lands and houses to them with fake documents.
According to her some of these developers go as far as planting people in all strategic offices, where an investor can go in and make inquiries like the Federal Capital Territory Administration office, AGIS; in order to perfect these crimes, adding that these victims today did a little research and started building not knowing that these lands were not properly allocated to them.
On the way forward, she said apart from calling out these dubious developers, these landlords will also go to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to make official complaint for thorough investigation as this is a financial crime.
She also advised future investors in Abuja to ensure that they ask for an allocation letter, Land use approval, building plan approval and finally, one must ask for a site plan in order to escape all these land grabbers and dubious developers.
Some of the developers handling projects in the areas include: Shelter Gold, BSTAN Homes, Crown Prince Estate, Four Model Estate, Green Pasture Homes, Eco City Estate, C.M.S Court, Iphee Estate, Palm Hill Estate, Spring Forth Estate, Alabaster Homes, Metropolitan Estate and Tobamat Estate.