In continuation of its effort to rid Abuja, the nation’s capital of criminal elements, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) at the weekend demolished over 400 illegal structures.
While most of the structures hitherto serving as homes and businesses settlements were situated in Lugbe-across, along Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, some of them were allegedly used as safe haven for criminals.
The demolition exercise despite the heavy rain started at Lugbe-Across, Lugbe-Berger, Car wash and Lugbe Zone 5 and lasted for eight hours with heavy security personnel to avoid breakdown of law and order.
Also, the security team comprised men of the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Air Force Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abuja Environmental Protection Board as well as officials of the department of Development Control of the FCTA.
Explaining the exercise, Director of Security Services in the FCTA, Adamu Gwary, vowed the administration will not fold its hands and watch criminals overrun the city.
Gwary said the Minister of FCT, Malam Muhammad Bello is not happy with illegal structures posing security threat to the city.
He assured that with the minister’s political will the removal of illegal structures will be sustained.
Similarly, Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah, said the operation was occasioned by national security.
Attah explained that the Administration had received disturbing reports that some illegal makeshift structures were being erected along the Airport road despite several demolitions.
On his part, the Chief Security Officer to the FCT Minister, Ahmed Rashid also disclosed that the administration has also identified strategies that the scavengers, criminals and the illegal settlers are adopting and where they are hibernating: “and we are dislodging them.
“As you can see the security challenges are increasing and we cannot wait until the criminals enter the main city before we deal with them”.
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