About 66 shop owners at the Karu Lorry Park, Abuja, are demanding N227. 2 million compensation for the demolition of their shops by the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
John Olateru, one of the shop owners located at No. 16 F, who was led in evidence by Ofudili Uche, the Counsel to the FCDA, told the court that the amount was for goods and property destroyed by AMAC during the demolition exercise.
The 66 plaintiff had joined the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Muhammad Bello, the Federal Capital Development Authority and AMAC as co-defendants in the suit.
He said each of the shop owners was demanding N4. 2 million compensation because of the huge damage they incurred, stressing that the demolished shops were built according to the approval given by AMAC.
Olateru said: “The allocation was given to us empty with drawing of building plans and we built the shop from the scratch based on specification.’’
He said that as at the time the allocation was given to them in 1994, AMAC had the right to allocate land contrary to what was obtainable at that time when the minister of FCT was the only one saddled with the responsibility.
He told the court that AMAC had initially tried to negotiate with the shop owners about payment because they knew they were to compensate them but failed in the middle of the negotiation.
He said: “AMAC negotiated payment with us, I submitted myself for verification with the intention to settle us and when it failed, they tried to use brute force against us.’’
Olateru told the court that the reason for the demolition was best known to AMAC, adding that the shop owners however felt AMAC was only out to cheat them.
According to him, when AMAC demolished the shops, it latter allocated them to a company by name PEDEGAS Nigeria Ltd. “and the owner of the company is a federal legislator’’.
He told the court that the legislator was building the shop at the moment and selling form for N50, 000 to intending buyers and the least of the shop was sold for N2. 5 million, while the highest was sold for N22 million.
He said that the selling of the land to an individual was contrary to AMAC claim that the demolition was based on public interest and would be used for such purpose.
AMAC had on June 24, 2013 served the shop owners quit notice and on October 1, 2013, led the development control to demolish the Karu market structure with the intention that the revocation was in the public interest.
Justice Sunday Aladetoyinbo of the FCT High Court called on the counsel to AMAC to write the council to appear in court, adding that it was compulsory that AMAC appeared in this case.
He, however, adjourned the case till March 1 for further hearing.
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