By Pius Awunah
The Miinister of the Federal Capital Territory(FCT),Mr. Nyesom Wike, on Friday, stormed Apo-Dutse District in Abuja, where 11 duplexes built by the Nigeria Police Force under high-tension power lines were demolished by the Development Control Department.
Wike, visibly angered, condemned what he described as a brazen abuse of power by the Police, following the arrest and detention of FCT Development Control enforcement officials who carried out the demolition.
“Government is here to enforce rules, not to break them. How can anybody take such a risk, building directly under high-tension lines? Even if there were no high tension, once Development Control says no approval, nobody has the right to take the law into their hands just because they have force”, Wike declared.
According to him, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) had earlier applied for approval to develop the land, but the request was turned down on safety grounds.
“They refused to stop.They went ahead. When Development Control came here to do the right thing, the officers were arrested. That is unacceptable.
“I will take this up with the appropriate authorities because this can not stand,” Wike vowed.
The minister expressed shock that an institution charged with enforcing the law would openly violate planning regulations and endanger lives.
He assured residents that the FCT Administration would not hesitate to enforce planning laws, regardless of the status of the violator.
“Imagine the danger if these duplexes had been completed and people started living here. One spark and hundreds of lives would be lost. We can not fold our arms and allow impunity in the name of development,” Wike warned.
The minister promised to formally raise the matter with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who he said was out of town and may not have been aware of the development, insisting that Abuja’s masterplan must not be compromised under any guise.
