To eradicate the menace of ‘one-chance’ robbery, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has impounded 700 vehicles for violations, including illegally tinted glass, fake number plates, and other serious traffic offences.
The massive clampdown was part of the second phase of “Operation Sweep Abuja Clean,” a multi-agency security initiative targeting criminals who use vehicles to prey on unsuspecting residents.
The director of the FCTA Department of Security Services, Adamu Gwary, disclosed the figures during a night stop-and-search operation conducted at the Apo-Wassa Junction and the bustling Karu axis of the city. The secretary of the Command and Control Centre, Dr. Peter Olumuji, delivered his address.
Olumuji revealed that intelligence from victims directly links vehicle modifications to criminal activity.
“Most of the victims that we have interrogated who have fallen victim to one chance, they always let us know that the vehicles they boarded are tinted,” he stated.
He warned that commercial drivers have no legitimate reason to use tinted glass, which provides a shield for criminals.
“We are seeing people who are into businesses like taxis, using tinted glass,” he noted, emphasising the administration’s zero-tolerance policy.
He said that the operation sweep has yielded significant results beyond impoundments.
“As of now in Operation Sweep, we have impounded over 700 vehicles from both the first and second phases. The operation has drastically reduced the incidence of one chance to the barest minimum.
“We have helped in recovering seven stolen vehicles within the last one week,” Olumuji said.
He assured residents that the security checks’ temporary inconvenience is for their safety.
“Our stop-and-search exercise has made it clear to criminals that no matter where they are in the FCT, the team will always reach them,” he said.
Corroborating the strategy, Mrs Deborah Osho, the Head of Operations for the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), detailed the specific violations being targeted.
She explained that a common tactic is the use of fraudulent number plates.
“They can take ABC for a Corolla, but once we get to the system, we can find that ABC is not even for a Corolla; it may be for Peugeot.
“Therefore, most of these one-chance use vehicle number plates that cannot be traced and once we get such kind of suspicion, those vehicles are picked.
“This is a joint task force team, a joint collaboration with all agencies and especially the lead agency, which is the police,” she said.
She noted that this synergy has been crucial in apprehending offenders, especially those driving against traffic, a common violation in the city.
“Today in Karu, you can see many vehicles apprehended. This is sending a clear message that Abuja is too hot for criminals,” she said.
The FCTA officials pledged that “Operation Sweep” would continue its relentless patrol across the city and satellite towns until complete sanity is restored on Abuja roads.
They appealed for continued public cooperation, urging residents to see the security checks as necessary for a safer FCT.
