The Federal Capital Territory Administration, on Monday demolished a mega store in Dawaki Relocation Scheme of Abuja, for allegedly failing structural integrity test.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that FCTA officials who were accompanied by a combined team of security operatives stormed the area and pulled down the structure attached to the site of the collapsed uncompleted building.
NAN correspondent who was at the scene of the demolition, observed that the owner of the store was allowed to evacuate his wares before the building was reduced to rubbles.
No casualties were reported in the process.
Addressing newsmen, the Director of FCTA Development Control Department, Malam Muktar Galadima, explained that the demolition was necessitated by the recent unfortunate building collapse incident that claimed lives.
He said the department received distress calls from residents of the area that the developer had gone back to site, and was even selling items within the building.
”If we don’t do anything very promptly, another disaster will occur.
“It would have been unfortunate on our part. We are being proactive to avert any of such unfortunate incidents that might occur,” Galadima said.
The director said that developers and operators of the store were duly notified about the demolition before the enforcement.
He also said that the department adhered to due process by conducting integrity test on the building and the result indicated that the structure failed.
“As a result of that, in order to forestall any future recurrence, we had to move in and remove the standing structure,” he said.
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