Dakibiu Residents Raise Alarm Over 72-Hour Demolition Order

Residents of Yalambo axis of Dakibiu, Jabi, in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have raised the alarm over an alleged impromptu demolition order by officials of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), directing more than 2,000 people to vacate the area within 72 hours.

The residents who spoke separately to LEADERSHIP on Thursday, said they were not given prior notice, appealed to the FCT Administration to urgently intervene and prevent what they described as a looming environmental and humanitarian crisis.

One of the residents, Mrs Comfort Okeke, said the demolition exercise was not affecting the entire Dakibiu community, but was concentrated around areas close to a road corridor.

According to her, structures that directly encroached on the road corridor had already been demolished, while residents were now concerned about reports that officials intended to move further into the community.

Okeke said, “They have already demolished the ones falling into the road. They have demolished all those ones. Today, they say they are entering inside. I don’t know why they decided to enter this place for now.”

She explained that the residents were particularly worried because of the reported 72-hour ultimatum, adding that many people in the affected area were uncertain about what would happen to their homes and livelihoods.

Another resident, Abdul Hassan, said the proposed demolition was linked to an earlier government plan to relocate people whose properties were affected by the construction of the road.

Hassan explained that the government had previously cleared portions of the area for the road project and subsequently allocated land to affected residents for relocation.

He said the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, later discovered that the initially allocated land belonged to another person, prompting the decision to identify an alternative location close to the existing community.

According to him, the alternative location identified for the relocation was largely undeveloped and was considered suitable for accommodating people affected by the road corridor.

“The minister said they can’t take the people that were affected by the road corridor far away. He wanted to keep them close to the community,” Hassan said.

He, however, clarified that the proposed demolition did not concern the entire Dakibiu community.

“The entire Dakibiu is still intact. The road passed through and they cleared the area last year,” he said.

Hassan also said most of the structures in the particular area earmarked for the exercise were makeshift structures, adding that the number of permanent residents was relatively small.

He expressed concern, however, that people currently occupying the area could be affected if the reported 72-hour directive was enforced without adequate consultation or alternative arrangements.

Another resident, Ado Garba said the affected locations included areas popularly identified as Angwan Hausa and Yaran, stressing that the issue should not be presented as a demolition of the entire Dakibiu community.

Garba appealed to the FCT Administration and relevant FCDA authorities to clarify the scope of the proposed exercise and engage residents before taking further action.

He further alleged that the area was not part of locations previously identified and settled for demolition, claiming that the latest directive came without adequate prior notice.

Garba said the sudden order for thousands of residents to vacate within 72 hours could create serious environmental and social problems, particularly for families who may have nowhere to relocate to.

He, therefore, called for an immediate review of the directive, proper identification of structures affected by the road corridor and consultation with stakeholders before any further demolition is carried out.

He also urged the authorities to distinguish between structures obstructing the road corridor and those outside the road alignment, insisting that only properties genuinely affected by approved infrastructure projects should be considered for removal.

The residents expressed hope that the FCT Administration would intervene to prevent unnecessary displacement and ensure that any relocation exercise was carried out in a transparent and humane manner.