Concerned locals’ fault approval
Written by Omeiza Ajayi
Abuja: Following the contentious decision by two departments of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to demolish illegal markets within the estates corridor and establish a new one, which has alarmed the locals, trouble is currently developing within four significant residential estates in the Karsana District of Abuja.
For security reasons, the estates have been depending on the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to regularly remove unlawful markets surrounding them since they have been struggling with the issue of shanties, illegal drug joints, and illegal markets.
In fact, until his retirement late last year, Mukhtar Galadima, the immediate-past Director of Development Control, cleared out illegal markets and shanties in Mabglobal Estate, Ipent 7, Efab Metropolitican, and Efab Queens, allowing the four estates situated along the same road corridor to continue to coexist peacefully.
The development of any kind of illegal market or joint within the four residential estates, which are all located on the new road that leads from Dawaki through Karsana to the Renewed Hope Housing Estate, which is being built by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, was strictly prohibited by Galadima’s Development Control Unit. The project is being carried out by CBC, a Chinese company, and it is moving forward steadily.
Residents of the impacted estates, however, discovered a group of persons marking and designating sites for the construction of markets within the four estates’ perimeter fences when they woke up on Monday. This nearly resulted in a confrontation with the security personnel stationed at the estates.
When the security guards questioned the guys, they displayed a letter allegedly written and authorized by Abubakar A. Makama, the Acting Director of the Department of Urban Affairs under the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council AMMC, allowing them to establish a “informal market” at the site.
The promoters of the “informal market” started building early last week, despite the fact that the letter sanctioning the market was allegedly granted in August 2025. However, the residents of the four estates, who could be threatened by the proposed market, fiercely opposed the project.
The letter was sent to the MD/CEO of Fasaha and Sons Global Services Nigeria Limited, No. IA, Block B, 6th Avenue Market, Galadima, Gwarinpa, Abuja, on August 20, 2025, with reference number AMMC/ADM/UA/1455. It was titled: Application for permission to operate and manage a temporary informal market at Mabglobal by Queen Estate, Karsana, Abuja.
“This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter and further inform you that your application has been processed accordingly,” it says in part.
The letter issued by town planner and Acting Director of the AMMC Abubakar A. Makama said, “Having made all the necessary payments and for the fact that you are already on ground, the authority would allow you to continue to conduct your business pending the issuance of the permit.”
Vanguard inspections showed that since the development control destroyed the previous market, there had been no attempt to build a new one until this letter arose, despite the department basing part of its decision on assertions that the developer was already on the ground.
The Mab Global Estate, which consists of roughly 634 homes, wrote to the Urban Affairs department to voice their serious concerns about recent structural changes that they believe are detrimental to their safety and security.
“We were invited by FCDA to a meeting in 2023 on the potential relocation of former displaced traders from Gwarinpa to our boundary fence.
“We attended the meeting, and following the discussions, everyone in attendance agreed that the status quo should be maintained because the proposal was premature, ill-timed, and dangerous to the community. Pharmacist Frederick Okonkwo, the association’s president, and Mr. Chibuzor Ogbonnaya, its secretary general, stated, “We had assumed that the issue had been laid to rest with the threat of insecurity which was brought to the fore in the meeting.”
They were especially inspired by the recent efforts that resulted in the demolition of the shanty surrounding the estate three weeks ago, even though they “observed with great relief the commendable, sustained efforts the FCDA has made to remove shanties from the Federal Capital Territory.”
Because of this, Sir, we are perplexed, extremely alarmed, and concerned that our perimeter fence alone is “approving” the move of a shanty market from Gwarimpa.
Therefore, we are using this platform to urge you to use your excellent offices, as you have always done, to quickly step in and put an end to the continued unlawful attempts to build a makeshift market along our perimeter fence.
It is well known that drug dealers, armed robbers, and other criminals thrive in these shanties. The claim that our security is being jeopardized to serve a market without the FCDA’s consent is not hyperbole.
