The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Administration City Sanitation Taskforce has demolished a criminal hideout in the Apo Resettlement area of Abuja.
The popular area, known as “dark spots,” is said to be used by criminal elements as their base from where miscreants carry out nefarious activities in the city.
Speaking with journalists during the exercise on Thursday, the Director of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said there have been reported killings by miscreants living in the area.
Mukhtar said the area has been linked to insecurity in Apo and its environs.
He said: “This is part of the continuation of the city sanitation operations to rid the city of criminal elements.
“This place has been identified as one of the notorious dark spots in the city and we are here to clear the area to make it safe for residents.
“There are credible and verifiable security and intelligence reports about these locations. In fact, there were instances where some people were even killed around this area.
“So, for the fact that this place was identified as a dark spot, it’s enough for it to be demolished, cleared, and have everything removed, including the fence.”
Mukhtar said the step was part of the FCTA’s measures to keep miscreants away from green areas and empty plots of land.
On his part, Adamu Gwary, Director of Security Services Department of the FCTA, confirmed that residents of the area had been complaining about criminal activities there.
Represented by the Secretary, Command and Control Centre, Dr. Peter Olumuji, Gwary said apart from being a safe haven for suspected armed robbers, illicit drug peddling also thrived in the area.
“Some few weeks ago, there was an attack on residents and the criminals hid in the area.
“Over 50 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.
On August 6, the taskforce had demolished illegal structures and shanties in Wuse Zone 3, and moved to UTC for a similar exercise on Monday.
The exercise also saw the taskforce demolishing illegal structures and shanties, popularly known as “Cashew Garden,” in Apo Cadastral Zone E27, Abuja, on Tuesday.
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