Senate to investigate demolition of 500 houses in Abuja

[Sunexx360]

The Senate yesterday said it was going to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial demolition of 500 houses valued at over N3 billion at Minannuel Estate along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja and take prompt action on the matter.
This position was conveyed to victims of the demolished houses who staged a protest march to the National Assembly.
Addressing the over 300 aggrieved Nigeriansat the main entrance of the National Assembly on behalf of the Senate President, Senator Abu Ibrahim representing Katsina South Senatorial District condemned the actions of the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory [FCT].
The Senator had, while assuaging the feelings of the protesters made up of subscribers to the houses disclosed that the leadership of the Senate had met over the issue  and would take prompt action on the matter.
Earlier, a protest letter addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark was presented to him by the spokesperson to the subscribers, Festus Adebayo, who demanded adequate compensation to be paid to victims of the exercise.
In addition, it was also the demand of the affected subscribers that the perpetrators of the demolished exercise be brought to book.
In the said protest letter, dated October 5, 2012 entitled: "Unwanton Demolition of our 500 Housing units," the authors chronicled the events that led to the sordid act by agentsof the Development Control Unit of the Federal Capital Development Authority [FCDA] on September 29, 2012.
The letter reads in part: "Our ordeal began onFriday September 28, 2012 when a news report in WAZOBIA radio station quoted Senator Smart Adeyemi, the Senate CommitteeChairman on FCT as saying that Goza District, where the Minanuel Estate is located "is designated kyami District and allocated to National lawmakers and other Nigerian."