By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has said all unused spaces taken over by hoodlums and other suspected criminals in the neighbourhood will be converted to parks and recreation centres.
The FCTA Department of Development Control said the areas were threatening the peace of the residents.
Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima disclosed this to journalists after a clean up exercise in Katampe extension, yesterday.
He said similar measure will be replicated in other areas where the administration recently moved in to demolished shanties.
Galadima, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement of the department, Hassan Ogbole, lamented that the hoodlums constantly returned to the area despite being cleared severally.
He said, “We have done this in several locations and we are here in Katampe extension. This is a high tension line where any kind of activity is not supposed to be going on around it but unfortunately, this is the fourth time the task team will be here. Whenever we remove, they come back. We know they are being exploited by people within themselves and outside, but we are investigating thoroughly to bring those involved to law.
“We will keep doing this. We can’t leave an ungoverned space and that’s why we are working on governance now. We are working in partnership with the residence association of Katampe Extension as well as and Parks and Recreation Department. Sooner or later we will get them to take proper occupation of this place so that these people will not come back.
Before then we will keep coming here to make sure they don’t come back.”
The Assistant Director in charge of Maintenance, Parks and Recreational Department, Engr. Isa Abdulmalik, disclosed that the measure will be replicated in ungoverned spaces in Kabusa, Gaduwa, Guzape, Apo Dutse, and others.
“We are going to fence this place, put a recreational facility which will be between us and the residents here to serve as a neighborhood park, so that the people here can make use of the facility.
“With this, I think we will curb most of the illegal activities and the taking over of this place by hoodlums in the past. So I believe when we do that the neighborhood and the people around will enjoy the facility. There are so many other places within this city so far, that we have recovered and created parks there. Some of these areas are Kabusa, Gaduwa, Guzape, Apo Dutse, and others.”
Earlier, the Secretary of FCTA Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, had explained that residents of Katampe extension had complained of security threats due to the influx of criminal elements in the area.
Olumuji said, “We’ve seen incidences of people coming here to sell drugs and the rest and a lot of other vices that go on around here.
“But, now that we’ve come around here for clearance operation, our own is just to ensure that this place is clear of this places that they can hibernate in perpetrating their dangerous activities to human habitation within this environment.”
