FCTA vows total clampdown on traffic offenders, destitutes

Stories by Stanley Onyekwere

In a bid  to effectively  tackle the increasing influx of destitutes and road traffic offences, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says there is going to be total clampdown on offenders as their actions constitute threat to the common interest of the FCT.

To this end, the FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike has issued a strong directive to relevant authorities for full implementation of  the operation.

This move, was disclosed by the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Saka Adewale, who briefed the Newsmen at Lifecamp, after the FCT security meeting yesterday.

The meeting was earlier presided over by the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, had also in attendance; the FCT Commander NSCDC, FCT Director of DSS, Garrison Commandant, FCT Director of Security, Director of development control, Head of Service and Area Council Chairmen.

Adewale said: “Traffic offences that equally contribute to crime in the city have been identified, such as seeing people driving around with covered number plates, people driving against the traffic.

“ These are challenges that are life-threatening, because anybody driving against the traffic, that is one way, is actually on suicide mission.

“ There is going to be total clampdown on these offenders and they will be properly documented so that we know the kind of attitude they are putting up as it constitutes threat to the common interest of our FCT. The directive has been given and we are rolling out for full implementation of this.”

The CP revealed that through the FCT Operation Sweep exercise, not less than 675 vehicles were impounded for different traffic offences in Abuja, within just one month period.

He also disclosed that within same period, many arrests were made, with more than 273 destitutes taken to the Bwari center undergoing profiling and taken care of, waring to be relocated to where they belong.

 “As we speak, more than 670 vehicles were impounded.  the issue of improper documentation, tinted glasses, which we all know is not acceptable here, the issue of covered number plates, and the issue of operating without appropriate authority, you want to operate bolt, but you want to do all these that are creating a problem of this one chance. We have nothing less than 675 of them.

“So many arrests where made within the period. As we speak, more than 273 destitutes are in the Bwari center undergoing profiling and taken care of but they will need to be relocated to where they belong”, he stated.

On the addressing the ssue of beggars, destitute all over the city, the CP said the Minister  has tasked the service commanders to continue addressing that situation with a view to seeing that they rid the whole of FCT streets, of all these miscreants that constitute a kind of threat to the environment.

According to him: “On the issue of arrest and profiling, you know in the course of this operation, we have offenses that relate to drug peddling, we have offenses that relate to crime proper, we have offenses that have to do with destitute and illegal begging.

“All these ones that fall within the destitute and illegal begging on the road, this one has been taken care of by SDS. But for those found committing offenses that relate to drug peddling, that one has been handed over to NDLEA, and that is the statistic we have. So different departments have different statistics on the figure that has been shifted to them, although we have our general figure.

“To the glory of God, the exercise has been very successful and from the gain we have recorded, we have seen the need to continue. “