By Daniel Tyokua
Miscreants yesterday went on rampage as the officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) demolished over 2,000 illegal structures at Gwarimpa District in Abuja.
The hoodlums attacked residents in Karsana area of Gwarimpa after the demolition squad hit the area and snatched their bags and phones.
A Police officer who tried to rescue a lady whose phone was snatched was almost moped but was rescued by the combined security team.
Five hoodlums were arrested and illegal drugs were also seized from the hoodlums during the exercise.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring,Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, who led the demolition condemned what he called post demolition attacks from hoodlums in Abuja.
According to him, “It was what we have always describe as post demolition criminality here in shanties and criminal hideout in which criminals come out with daggers and other dangerous weapons and start to rob passerby of their handsets and bags and other belongings, we had to go back to rescue a lady whose phone was snatched and we were able to recover it and handed it over to her.
“And two persons were arrested and have been handed over to Gwarimpa Police station.
“The Policeman saw the woman being attacked so he tried rescuing the woman and he was also robbed and we went back to get the two phones back”.
He said the Tuesday cleanup was the continuation of what the Taskforce Team started on Monday and two machines were used for demolition, for four hours.
On houses that were left untouched, he said, “The houses that were left untouched were the ancient Fulani that were leaving in Abuja before its establishment. We have been informed by the Department of Resettlement and they said, they have the right of being resettled”.
The Secretary FCTA Command and Control Unit, Peter Olumuji, revealed that three persons were earlier arrested, for possession of drugs.
“Part of what we have come here to do is to remove shanties and bachers, because of criminal elements who operates from here. What they do is they operate in Gwarimpa environ and then come to hide here. What we have done is to dislodge them. We have some drugs recovered today and we also have some arrested. About three were arrested”, he said.
One of the victims, Iyam, said he has been leaving in the area for over 30 years, said it was the Gbagyi that sold the land to them.
He lamented that he is as much Nigerians as the Gbayis and appeal to the administration to consider other non indigenous people.
