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Abuja Authorities Relocate Apo Mechanic Village, Others
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The AMMC Coordinator, Felix Obuah, disclosed this to journalists after a meeting with representatives of the affected traders and mechanics in Abuja on Tuesday.
Mr Obuah explained that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has approved the exercise designated for such businesses, adding that the evacuation would begin in a month’s time.
He identified those to be relocated as all traders, artisans, mechanics, spare parts dealers, furniture makers, roadside cooking gas dealers and others operating on road corridors across the city.
“We have decided to relocate all the traders on the road corridor, the buffers, and right of ways to Wassa any moment from now and they are all happy.
“By the special grace of God, we will do it to the satisfaction of everybody.
“The minister has given the approval and as I speak to you, the taskforce in charge of the area has been set up.
“The technical team in charge of the relocation will be set up any moment from now,” Mr Obuah said.
He said Mr Wike had given a matching order, adding that it would be followed judiciously without compromise.
Mr Obuah said that the development would end the over 15 years of struggle to relocate operators of Apo Mechanic Village sitting on a road corridor and obstructing the right of way.
He added that the over 50 associations of artisans, mechanics and spare parts dealers in the FCT have been collapsed into four unions for effective coordination and information sharing.
He said that the land allocation would be given to genuine traders, spare parts dealers, mechanics, furniture makers and artisans among others.
“We are not given the land to individuals, friends, or civil servants. It is purely for traders, mechanics, spare parts dealers and artisans operating on road corridors.
“The beneficiaries will provide National Identification Numbers, phone numbers, their addresses and the kind of business they are operating.
“We will also set up an enumeration team to go and verify the information provided before we can give out the allocations.
“It is no longer when one family will bring father, mother, son and everybody to get land while other people do not have,” Mr Obuah said.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s family residence in Kogi was reportedy invaded by gunmen around 1 a.m. on Tuesday, April 16, leaving damaged windows but no injuries.
The incident happened at her hometown residence in Obeiba-Ihima, located in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Sources familiar with the event said the attackers arrived around 1:00 a.m. Armed with cutlasses and guns, they damaged parts of the building, smashing windows and causing panic in the area. At least three men were involved in the attack.
Senator Natasha’s Chief Security Officer, Yakubu Ovanja, quickly informed the appropriate security agencies.
In response, officers from the Okehi Police Division rushed to the scene.
Although nobody was hurt and no suspects have been arrested yet, security officials recorded the extent of the damage and launched a preliminary investigation.
The reason behind the attack is still unknown, and as of now, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan has not released any official statement. She represents Kogi Central in the Senate and is known as a vocal figure in Nigerian politics.
According to Zagazola Makama, police are still trying to figure out what motivated the attackers and are working to find those responsible.
The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Benue has in the past decade experienced incessant attacks.
Suspected herdsmen have again stepped up violent attacks as no fewer than three communities in the Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State were attacked on Wednesday.
The communities affected during the fresh attacks include Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju all in Otukpo where five persons were killed in February. The communities came under simultaneous attacks just a day after the killing of 11 persons at Otobi Community also in Otukpo LGA.
Local sources confirm that several people may have been feared dead again in the fresh attack.
Wednesday’s attack came hours after Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with the invasion of Otobi village on Tuesday night.
When contacted, Otukpo LGA Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack on the three communities, saying that the attackers stormed the communities at the time when the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace over the previous day’s attack on Otobi.
He added that three people sustained injury in the attacks on the three communities, leading to women and children abandoning the communities for fear of being killed.
“Only young men were in the communities when the attackers arrived. The prompt response from combined security operatives made the attackers flee and none of them were arrested,” Ogiri stated.
The police spokesperson in the state, Sewuese Anene, was yet to confirm details of the attacks on the three communities.
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