How insecurity drives rent surge in FCT suburbs

 

In 2022, the Federal Capital Territory experienced a spike in attacks from ‘bandits’ who have been targeting the suburbs. This year, terrorists launched a daring attack on the Kuje Correctional Facility and also attacked the Presidential Guards Brigade in Bwari.

In April, Hassan Shamidozhi, the traditional ruler of the Bukpe community, Kwali Area Council, was kidnapped alongside two others. They were released 18 days after the family reportedly paid a ransom.

It would be recalled that some lecturers of the University of Abuja were kidnapped by bandits. Also, several countries issued security alerts, warning their citizens of possible attacks against the federal capital. Although the city did not experience any major attack, however, in most satellite towns, there have been concerns.

Last week, some persons in Kubwa, another suburb of the FCT, were kidnapped by armed men who stormed the area from the hillside. This attack appears not to have been a one-off, as residents in that environment said the hillside, close to some of the major quarries in the area, has become notorious for attacks.

The hill, located very close to Kukwa extension two, has become notorious for attacks, as residents informed DAILY POST that bandits can easily cross the hills into Niger State.

“Across that hill, you can easily cross into Niger State. What we heard is that those armed men came from that rock side and carted away some persons,” Saidu Aliyu, a resident of the area told this reporter while pointing at the hill.

In some places around PW in Kubwa, residents and house owners have to pool resources together to get vigilantes due to the incessant attacks by armed robbers. According to residents, the attacks started with the stealing of batteries inside cars, and in no time, houses are being targeted.

“Initially, our fear is those Baban Bola (refuse collector), those guys can steal anything. Then we started experiencing the bursting of batteries out of cars. Before you wake up at night, batteries have been removed from cars. Then, the scary one was when they started breaking people’s doors and taking away their valuables,’ Mudasiru Sola, a resident at PW said.

“We had to save ourselves by contributing money to get security. Every house in this axis pays N5,000 per month to ensure safety,” Sola said.

DAILY POST gathered that the insecurity in the FCT has triggered mass movement from Kwali, Bwari, Kuje and others to places that are closer to the metropolis. This resultant migration has led to an increase in rents in like Lugbe Dawaki, Kubwa and other places that are closer to the city centre.

Two years ago, to get a room and parlour apartment in Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja, one will need N350,000 on average. Such an amount is considered an easy bargain considering the current cost of the same apartment in this same place.

Currently, to get any decent one-bedroom apartment, one must be prepared to part away with N600,000 per annum in addition, agents will demand 15% of the rent as agency and agreements, and there are also caution fees that go as high as N100,000 for apartment and some even demand service charge.

Because of the high demand for houses, there are other factors that determine getting a house. in some instances, 10-15 persons may be struggling for the same apartment, this situation gives agents and landlords the power to subject prospective tenants to stringent conditions.

When this reporter approached an agent in Lugbe, around the Federal Housing, the first question asked, “What state are you from? Are you Igbo?” when this reporter pretended to be Igbo, the countenance of the agent changed, he said, “this woman has said she is not giving an Igbo her House.”

The prejudice in Lugbe is not just on ethnicity, some even discriminate against prospective tenants that are not working with the government. If you work with a private organization, you are at disadvantage.

In some instances, agents ask prospective tenants to provide details of their workplace and annual salary before they are considered worthy to be given an apartment.

Discrimination against women

For women, the level of discrimination is at another level. Out of three houses that this reporter showed interest in, landlords expressed reservations against giving their houses to single ladies.

“I don’t give my house to girls. The last corper girl (NYSC Corps member) that I gave my house could not pay rent again after the first one expired,” a landlord told this reporter when he pretended to be trying to rent a house for his sister.

For females who are from the Southeast geopolitical zone and also working in the private sector, the struggle to get decent accommodation, even when they have money is a tough battle.

Lugbe, Kubwa struggle with infrastructure

It would be recalled that DAILY POST had reported that the National Assembly last week passed the budget of the federal capital territory of about N607 billion for 2022.

It is worth noting that the FCT budget has over the year increased considerably from N278.4 billion in 2020, which was later revised downward to N199.2 billion due to COVID-19.

In 2021, the budget was N329 billion and 2022 is N607 billion. Despite the increase in the budget, most of the satellite towns have been neglected in terms of infrastructure with most of the attention focused on the city centre.

Due to the high cost of rent in the city, most workers live in this satellite towns like Karu, Nyanyan, Mararaba, Jikowyi, Bwari, Dutse, Suleja, Madala, Zuba, Lugbe, Gwagwalada and even as far as Keffi.

But these towns get little to no attention from the administration. Even within the city, slums are growing. Jabi Village, Asokoro Village, Garki Village and other slums offer workers cheap accommodation, however, these places rarely get the attention of the administration.