FCTA demolishes vehicle papers ‘forgery’ hub in Mabushi

By Stanley Onyekwere

Officials of the FCT Administration yesterday demolished a mini market, purportedly hitherto known to be notorious for vehicle papers and other documents forgery.
The demolished market located adjacent to the headquarters of FCTA Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in Mabushi, was allegedly been infiltrated by fraudulent merchants whose stock in trade is to collaborate with some government staff to produce fake vehicle papers and number plates.
Speaking on the exercise carried out by FCT Development Control Department (DCD), the Director DRTS, Dr. Abdulatef Bello said that several intelligent reports has exposed the illegal activities being perpetrated in the place.
Bello, who displayed some vehicles papers and number plates, said to have been impounded from some of the arrested suspects, noted that some criminal elements had infiltrated the place and indulging in forgery.
He lamented that apart from losses of revenue, due to the illegal activities of the place, the safety of motorists and other residents have been threatened.
He warned bothering motorists and people who patronise quacks fir vehicle registration to desist from it, and resort to the seamless registration platform, backed with technology which government has provided.
Bello said,” we have observed over a long period of time, this particular building harbours illegitimate activities such as pirates, pirate some of our documents and then perpetuate criminal activities.
“We have been making efforts over a period of time to see how we can bust their activities, but today faith caught off with them and the building or structure here are brought down, and they were able to uncovered so many of our documents that have been pirated by the criminals.
“And then the most important thing is that it is not just about revenue loss but you know it also about something that has to do with security as well, because as we are trying to go into e- enforcement, some of these vehicles that are registered with fake documents would be very difficult for us to track them, because the camera will pick them but because they are not registered.
“It will be difficult for us to track, and these are the kind of vehicles they use for criminal activities in territory.”
A lawyer, Alexandre Owobi, who claimed to be the manager of the open space property where the business centres operated, said that the most worrisome part of the demolition was that, the development control department did not give the occupants adequate notice.
Owobi stated that he was not aware that criminal elements have invaded the place, noting that no security agency has ever given him such reports.