The demolition of an Internally Displaced Persons Camp and neighbouring shanties in Durumi, has left many people homeless and in dire need of Aid.
Action Aid Nigeria is calling on Federal Capital Authorities to address this urgently by resettling the IDPs, while prioritising women and children .
Maintaining the Abuja masterplan remains a priority of the Federal Capital Territory Administration and has led to demolition of structures deemed to violate its policy
Properties worth billions of naira have been demolished over the years within both high and low density areas of Nation’s capital city Abuja.
It makes construction a very thorough business in the FCT as all necessary papers must be complete and verified so as not to fall foul of Development Control.
Shanty towns which spring up illegally run the risk of being moved on at anytime as was the case of the Durumi IDP camp and neighbouring illegal structures which were demolished just before Christmas by the FCTA.
The Executive secretary FCDA, Shehu Ahmad insists the exercise was necessary to address security challenges in the Nation’s capital.
But it has left three thousand inhabitants of the IDP camp, made up of three hundred and thirty households, homeless
Seventy percent of these IDPs, are women and children from North East states like Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa.
It has left these IDPs in a very untenable situation.
They have nowhere to go and now lie out in the open among the ruins of their temporary shelters.
The IDPs had traditionally depended on donations from humanitarian organisations and NGOs when this was a recognised IDP camp.
They are left concerned that such donations will stop
Action Aid is concerned and has come to distribute relief materials to help out.
The agency’s Country Director, Ene Obi says the demolition was carried out at a most unsuitable time in the midst of Yuletide celebrations.
She calls on the Federal Government to make provisions for the IDPs .
The IDPs narrate their ordeal and appeal to the government to support them so they can get their lives back.
The Camp leaders are not happy at insinuations that their camp was demolished because it posed a security threat to the FCT
They insist they do not tolerate criminal activities in the IDP camp and are always ready to work with relevant agencies to fish out criminal element among them .
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