Fostering the war against insecurity,officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA )on Monday burst drainage tunnels, under bridges, green areas and parks within the city centre.
The Director, FCT Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima who led the joint taskforce said the raid had become necessary following complaints from resident over misuse of subways and under bridges by criminals who attack and dispossess innocent residents of their belongings at will.
He explained that the FCT minister, Barr.Wike had directed the JTF to take necessary action to rid the territory of these criminal element and ensure the safety of residents.
“We have received complains from residents in the city regarding the misuse and abuse of the subways and under bridges. So, the honourable FCT Minister directed that we should take necessary action, and today we are a fact-finding mission, to know what is really happening under the bridges and subways.
“From today, we can come out with our plan of action on the next step to be taken.
With what we have seen today, it is really unfortunate that these things are happening in the city, where informal activities are taken place under the bridges and subways, as well as people of questionable characters are living there.
“We have to step up our action on combing and monitoring these facilities and activities taken place there”.
On his part, the Secretary Command and Control, FCT Security Services Department, Peter Olumuji said the team were disturbed by the enormity of the threat the challenge poses to not only residents, but the entire city as a whole if not immediately addressed.
“That is why we have decided to come and profile the canals and bridges within the capital cities and what we have seen is so disturbing.
“Residents of the capital city have been raising concern on how whenever they transverse these locations especially where you have bridges, they complain about how criminal elements coming out from the bushes, snatching their phone and bags, robbing them of their valuables even in their cars when they don’t wind up.
” Immediately they do this, they run into the bridges to hibernate. Naturally you don’t expect the victims to run after them because you don’t know what you will see in the tunnels. That is why we have decided to come and profile the canals and bridges within the capital cities and what we have seen is so disturbing.
“We made three arrest under the bridges today and these arrests concerns more of drug related issues and we have handed them over to the NDLEA for further investigation and profiling”.
The operation which lasts over five hours, witnessed some arrest of criminals who specialised in drug peddling as well as attacking and robbing residents of their valuables in some notorious flash-points which include the Yar’adua Centre/National Mosque triangle.
The task force team raided the stretch between Finance to Women Affairs tunnels around Court of Appeal as well as all tunnels in the Millennium Park.
It also combed tunnels and Green areas beside Abia House connecting to River Plate Park through to National Mosque and Yar’Adua center.
Other areas are Chescon Park, Maitama and Scavengers den behind Abia House.
While three were arrested, many of the criminals, took to their heels to escape arrest on sighting officials of the joint task force who raided every suspected hideouts in the green areas.
