The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has commenced the process of relocating residents of the Nuwalege Community, situated along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The move is aimed at accommodating the expansion of the plot designated for the presidential fleet.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike issued the directive for the Department of Development Control to engage community leaders, as over 200 houses are expected to be affected by the planned expansion.
During a community and citizens’ engagement on Tuesday, Mukhtar Galadima, the Director of the Department of Development Control, explained that the decision was in response to a request from the Nigerian Air Force about a month ago. The minister took charge of the matter as part of the FCTA’s responsibility.
Galadima stated, “The minister in his wisdom requested them to allow the FCT Administration to handle it because it is the responsibility of the FCT Administration. The Nigerian Air Force approached the Department of Development Control on their desire.”
He emphasised the need for community engagement and expressed the administration’s commitment to ensuring fairness and addressing the concerns of the affected residents. Galadima highlighted the importance of confirming that the community had been duly compensated and expressed concerns about the security implications of the area for the planned presidential fleet.
“We will discuss with the Air Force because, obviously, discussions behind the scenes indicate that some forms of compensation were paid. We are going to conduct further investigation by engaging the FCT Department of Resettlement and Compensation as well as the Nigerian Air Force and find out if compensation has been paid, to whom, and when,” he explained.
Galadima also acknowledged the security considerations, stating, “This part of some of these settlements is where you have some of these people of the underworld trying to disguise and hide. And looking at this, the Air Force formation, which is the presidential fleet, is too close for this thing to cohabit. So we will see; if there is that urgent desire to remove part of this community, we will do it.”
