The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished the over 30-year-old popular UTC Shopping Complex to give way for the needed rebounding of the place.

The administration said the structure was overdue for restructuring to fit into a shopping complex model required to grow SMEs to address global business needs and challenges.

Deputy director of monitoring and inspection, department of development, Hassan Ogbole, said the structures were defective and there was a need to upgrade them to the standard that would meet global business standards.

Ogbole noted that provision had been made for the traders and other occupants of the complex to enable reconstruction of the place.

He also stated that enough notices had been given to the occupants of the place to enable them to move out and allow the construction to start, but many of them refused to vacate.

“The place is in a state of disrepair, it is no longer habitable for occupation and business activities. It has to give way to new development.

“The company handling the development has informed development control and we are here to enforce compliance.  We have given them enough notices for them to remove their goods, to enable us to start the work,” he said.

Also speaking, the secretary of Command and Control, FCTA Department of Security, Peter Olumiji said demolishing the complex was also needed to curtain the security challenges in the area.