By Daniel Tyokua
Four persons have reportedly been killed few kilometers from the Life -Camp official residence of the Minister of the FederalCapital Territory (FCT).
The gruesome killings were said to be perpetrated at a slum settlement known as Kuchibena, just few minutes drive from the minister’s residence, where we gathered that some boys believed to be members of a deadly cult gand reside, turning the area to a killing field.
The true identity of these boys whose age is put at between 18 and 30 remain unknown as most of them have no known family background, but were boys who migrated from several places to settle in the area.
From our investigations, most of them are grown-up almajiri boys who were brought by hitherto the FCT from Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states with no discernible family background.
Such persons are gradually populating the FCT and live in makeshift tables, abandoned houses and in neighbourhood mosques.
Terrified residents said several persons have have allegedly been killed by persons suspected to be these cult boys, who now operate brazenly as if they are above the law.
It was learnt these boys had murdered no less than four persons this week alone in a most gruesome manner this week alone.
The last killing that reportedly shook the residents of the area was that of a young man, whose body was allegedly dismembered, with his head chopped off and hung on a stick by his assailants.
The notorious slum already sandwiched by several estates, is reportedly now turning to a notorious above-the-law operational theatre for hardened criminals who are said to be terrorising the adjourning neighhood.
The residents as at now appear to have resigned to fate amidst frustrations they earlier got when their complaints to the police and other law enforcement agencies were not attended to.
Owing to the inaction of the security are, the became afraid to speak up for fear of becoming an easy target to the blood-thirsty cultists and hoodlums.
One of the community leaders who pleaded anonymity, said that several bloody cult clashes are becoming too frequent, making the peaceful residents to live in an air of uncertainty and disillusionment.
Another source said, night time are the worst period for the people, as the criminals have defied almost all the security measures put in place by the community and wreak havoc within the neighbourhood.
In a leaked letter dated April 28th, 2021 which was signed by the Divisional Police Officer, Galadima Police Division, CSP Chinyere Akalaga, the police boss openly complained that the activities of hoodlums had devastated peace in community and the surrounding neighbourhood.
The DPO in the letter to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, requested for “dislodgement of illegal structures, settlements imposing security threat within the Galadima area”.
The DPO stated: “Consequent upon intelligence report received from the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Abuja from the Department of State Security Services on the 21st April, 2021, pointing at Sahara Gate Market, Mab-Global Junction, Efab Queen opposite market, Cashew Garden along Kuchibena and the popular Mami market in the same Kuchibena area among other major black spots in Galadima area in the FCT, it has become even more expedient that a drastic action be taken by your agency in order to curb the excesses of hoodlums and miscreants that have over time terrorize the peace in and around the neighborhood.
“In view of the above stated facts, it may therefore please your authority in the interest of sanity to consider the following as measures for lasting solution to include outright removal, and demolition of illegal structures within the area under review”.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, did not response to inquiries as at the time of filling this report.
It should be recalled that residents of TMQ Highrise Quarters, Wuse Zone 2, have written several letters to the Police, DSS, AEPB, Development Control, among others, complaining of the danger posed by unknown persons who hibernate at neighbourhood mosques and operate firewood, mechanic and other unauthorised businesses around the railway corridor of what was known as Oroni Garden axis.
The residents have made several calls to the FCT Call Center and extracted assurances of action by the Ikharo Attah-led Task Force on illegal structures, to no avail.
The fears of the residents of Zone 2 is that with the number of the unknown little boys who are gradually maturing to full-grown adults, who now brazenly dictate the rules of engagement at Zone 2, a similar killing spree might take off even within the Abuja city center.
It is not known why AEPB officials would prefer to collect bribes from the illegal squatters at Zone 2 daily and allow them to gradually build up a potential risk to the neighbourhood rather than flush them out once and for all.
Recall that attempts by the FCT Joint Taskforce to remove the illegal squatters at Zone 2 were always immediately resisted as the illegal squatters immediately returned after the Task Team had left and are now even drawing battle line with the residents, majority of who are retired civil servants and their children.
