Abuja: The City Sanitation Operation of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), on Monday, cleared illegal occupants and traders around UTC, in Area 10, Abuja. Mr Mukhtar Galadima, Director, Development Control, who heads the operation, explained that the exercise was directed by the FCT Security Committee.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Galadima said that the goal was to enforce sanity and rid the city of criminal elements. He explained that the UTC was one of the areas identified as dark spots harboring criminal elements. The team equally evacuated a pile of refuse left unattended, raising serious health concerns.
Galadima stated, “So, as part of city sanitation, we have to clear that site first before coming to the main area where the hoodlums are. On getting here, we have seen what is really disturbing and alarming. So, something serious has to be done.” He further explained that the space taken over by the illegal occupants and traders was designated as a transit corridor in the Abuja Master Plan.
He detailed that based on the Land Use Plan for Phase I and Garki District, the area was part of the transitway corridor. The director described the transitway corridor as a ‘system’ that runs across the city, from UTC, and passes behind Abuja Municipal Area Council Secretariat and Ministry of Defence towards Wuse Zone 3. The corridor had not been developed yet but was being maintained and protected against any form of intrusion by land grabbers.
Galadima mentioned that after the clearance, the area would be fenced as directed by the FCT Security Committee and would only allow usage that is friendly to city development, particularly transportation. This measure aims to ensure that the illegal occupants do not return to the site again.
On his part, Mr Adamu Gwary, Director, Security Services Department, FCTA, said that the clearance operation focused on identifying locations that criminals were using to hide and attack residents. Gwary, represented by the Secretary, Command and Control, Dr Peter Olumuji, disclosed that the rate of crime had reduced in locations that have been cleared since the exercise began a week ago.
He added that the city sanitation exercise was ongoing alongside Operation Sweep Abuja, noting that several criminals have been arrested while several shanties have been cleared.