Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has demolished suspected criminal hideouts and cleared environmental black spots it ramped up its city-wide sanitation activities in the nation’s capital.
The exercise was at the instance of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, who has vowed to check criminality in the federal capital.
After the clearance exercise yesterday at the UTC axis, a hotspot for criminal activities, the director of the Department of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said it was aimed at reclaiming the city’s master plan and preventing land grabbing.
“This is a continuation of the city sanitation exercise, which was directed by the FCT Security Council to rid the city of criminals and men of the underworld.
“Today, we first had to clear a disturbing refuse dump before moving into the main area where the hoodlums operate. This location forms part of Abuja’s transitway corridor, a system running across the city which must be protected for future development,” he said.
Galadima assured the residents that the cleared areas would be secured to prevent reoccupation.
“After clearance, we will take possession by way of fencing and putting in uses that are friendly to transportation activities. We are committed to ensuring the hoodlums do not return,” he said.
Responding to viral videos alleging the destruction of livelihoods, he clarified that adequate notices had been served since October 2023, with follow-ups in 2024 and February 2025.
“The park in question remains intact, playground, gym, and lounge inclusive. What we removed were makeshift structures no different from scavengers’ shanties,” he explained.
The director of FCTA Security Services, Adamu Gwary, represented by the secretary of the Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, highlighted the operation’s impact on crime reduction.
“Since this operation began a week ago, crime rates in affected areas have reduced drastically. We are also working to ensure these elements do not relocate to other parts of the city,” he said.
Olumuji said that the “Operation Sweep Abuja,” a parallel security initiative, had led to multiple arrests, with some suspects already prosecuted.
“Dangerous weapons, including machetes, were recovered from some cleared sites,” he added.
Clifford Azarama, Vice Chairman of the Area 7 Pedestrian Association, commended the FCTA’s intervention and called for broader collaboration with market and plaza managers to maintain order.
“We are ready to work with the administration to keep this area free from illegal parking and obstruction,” Azarama said.
The FCTA pledged to sustain the joint operations, combining environmental cleanup with security enforcement, to ensure Abuja remains safe and aligned with its original master plan.
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