By Ismaila Jimoh, Abuja
In its ongoing efforts towards ensuring that criminal elements would not have hiding place to carry out their nefarious activities within the nation’s capital, the FCT Administration’s Taskforce has again destroyed another criminal hideouts within Apo Cadastral Zone District.
For weeks now, the Taskforce has been going round all the identified shanties serving as hideouts within the Federal Capital City (FCC) and ensure they are reduced to rubbles.
Leading the team on Thursday, Director of Development Control, FCTA, Mukhtar Galadima confirmed that the area has been identified through verifiable intelligence to be contributing to the insecurity of Apo and it’s environ.
He said the place is not just a dark spot, but there have been reports of killings by miscreants within the environment, making the area a huge security threat to other residents.
According to him: “this is part of the continuation of the city sanitation and exercise to rid the city of criminal elements. So this place has been identified as one of the notorious dark spots. I recall also efforts were made in the past, but this time around we came in to do a total clearance of the place.
“There are credible and verifiable security and intelligence reports about these locations. Instances where some people were even killed around this place.
“So, for the fact that this place was identified as a dark spot, it’s enough for this exercise to continue. So that’s why we’re here and we will make sure that we clear this place once and for all. Unlike before that we just come and push the shanties. This time around we are going to remove everything and even fence the place.
“We have applied many options but this time around, we are going to devise a new strategy which I won’t like to say now. By the time we take action, then you people will see and identify that this is a new strategy for handling some of these crises,” he added.
Also speaking, Dr. Peter Olumuji who represented the Director, FCTA Director, Security Department, Adamu Gwary, also confirmed that reports available to them showed that the residents around the area have at various times complained about the criminal activities of the place.
He further disclosed that apart from the place being a hub for suspected armed robbers, illicit drug peddling has also been thriving in the area.
“We have issues like illicit drug peddling and sales here and intake. We have issues of armed robbery and even house breaking within this environment. Just so you know, some few weeks ago there was this attack on the residents that the criminal element used as a cover. Thank God for the good response time of the Nigerian police and sister agencies that were able to repel them.
“Over 50 criminal armed robbers came here to attack the residents here. But the quick response from the FCT police command and sister agencies prevented that attack from snowballing,” he said
