The Benue State government has demolished 40 illegal shanties and structures in different locations in Makurdi, the state capital.
The General Manager of the Benue State Urban Development Board (UDB), Tarnongo Mede, who led his team yesterday to carry out the demolition exercise, said it came as result of shanties springing up in some parts of the state.
He told journalists in an interview shortly after the exercise that Governor Hyacinth Alia had ordered that he should revitalise the city and by the mandate given to him, the Board under his watch would bring the city to what it should be.
“In this first phase, we have removed over 40 shanties and we were able to open roads that were blocked by developers. This assignment will continue in places where developers are blocking access roads and would cover the entire Makurdi city,” he said.
Mede added that about 800 houses, built on waterways, have been earmarked for demolition, especially around the Kanshio Layout.