By Daniel Tyokua
The FCT Ministerial Task Team on City Sanitation, on Tuesday smoked out criminals and arrested fourteen others during removal of illegal structures in city centre.
Chairman of the Task team, Ikharo Attah who led the exercise, said that most of the undeveloped plots of land, within the city centre have been turned into safe haven for the criminals.
Attah who decried the rate at which hoodlums were illegal converting all available spaces to hiding places, warned owners of the undeveloped plots to rid their lands of criminal activities and also commence development.
He noted that the discoveries made at some of the places raided were frightening and demands that the exercise be intensified with all commitment.
The worst hit by the operations were the areas around Bolingo hotels, Church Gate Towers, all located in the Central Business Districts of Wuse and Jahi.
According to Attah, FCT Minister has reiterated his resolve to muster enough political will and ensure that the illegalities and criminalities were ended.
“We discovered there have been so much intra-city robbery, so from our check we found that the criminals live among the people in shanties, so today we have to commence intensive operations around the Central Business, Wuse and Jahi Districts.
“Most people in Abuja have experienced robbery experience and these places are where the criminals live. We found fresh Indian hem growing and suspected drug addits.
“The FCT Minister is giving us enough political will to continue, so the illegalities can’t continue. Today’s operations were by two teams that have gone round the city, and have reduced the illegal shantiesby over 75 percent”.
However, Secretary FCT Command and Control, Peter Olumuji, said the operations were in response to the residents complaints of incessant criminal attacks.
Olumuji noted that invasion of these criminal hideouts was to send a signal to all criminals that effective policing of the city has come to stay
He also added that the operations will not end until, until insecurity is frontally combated for all residents to have a sense of security and safety.
