The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, has directed the establishment of a Special Task Force to comb uncompleted structures, abandoned plots of land and buildings in Abuja to dislodge and arrest criminals hiding in them.
The Director of Department of Security Services, FCT Administration, Adamu Gwary, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, January 15, 2025.
Gwary said the measure was to curb the menace of miscreants vandalising government’s assets and infrastructure.
He said the FCT Security Committee had identified uncompleted structures, abandoned plots of land, and buildings as some of the points wherein miscreants hide.
He stated: “So, the Commissioner of Police in FCT has been mandated to work with his colleagues to form a task team to that effect.
“They have made a submission on Tuesday to the Minister on financing the exercise, which will not only cover pantaker markets, but locations where scavengers are hibernating.
“These included uncompleted and abandoned structures and any other location that intelligence revealed as a hibernating point for miscreants.”
The director noted that in the next two to three weeks, there would be strategic efforts to clear all criminal hideouts in Abuja and other locations used to unleash their mayhem.
According to him, all uncompleted buildings, abandoned plots of land, and structures would be identified and cleared.
“This measure will ensure that criminal elements do not have a hiding place where they can organise to unleash their mayhem on our infrastructure or attack and rub residents,” Gwary said.
Speaking on undeveloped lands, Gwary said the FCTA Land Department was currently conducting a census of all undeveloped lands in Abuja as directed by Wike.
He recalled that Wike had directed owners of undeveloped plots of lands to develop their lands, or the allocation would be revoked.
He said the measure, if implemented, would significantly address security concerns relating to undeveloped plots of land, growing bushes, and serving as hideouts for criminals.
Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command said it had commenced daily raids of identified criminal black spots in Abuja.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said in a statement that the effort was to combat criminal activities and protect public and private infrastructure in the nation’s capital.
