FCTA raids criminals’ hideouts in Abuja, arrests three suspected drug peddlers  

• Wike’s measures for combating crimes yielding results, says HURIWA
• Tasks police on whereabou
• Wike’s measures for combating crimes yielding results, says

As part of measures to safeguard lives and property in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun profiling and a massive raid of criminals’ hideouts, such as bridges and subways, within the Central Business District (CBD), Maitama and Wuse districts of Abuja.

Also, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), yesterday, expressed joy that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has responded robustly to the security challenges in Abuja.

Commencing the operation, yesterday, the FCTA Joint Task Force on City Sanitation raided subways and bridges around the Three Arms zone, especially roads connecting the Ministry of Women Affairs, Police Headquarters, Court of Appeal and Federal Secretariat.

The team also raided tunnels and green areas beside Abia House, connecting River Plate Park through the National Mosque and Yar’Adua Centre, including Millennium and Chescon parks, in Maitama and Wuse, where informal activities take place, with people of questionable character living under the facilities.

Coordinator of the Taskforce, Mukhtar Galadima, who led the operation, said it was pursuant to the directive of the FCT Minister, following complaints from residents in the city alleging the abuse of such facilities.

Galadima, who is also Director, FCT Department of Development Control, described the sanitary condition around the affected facilities as very disturbing, which calls for immediate drastic measures.

The Secretary, Command and Control Centre of FCT Security Services Department, Dr Peter Olumuji, recalled that residents of the capital city had been raising concerns that whenever they traverse those locations, criminals come out from the bushes, rob them of their valuables, even in their cars when they don’t wind up.

He added: “Immediately they do this, they run into the bridges to hibernate.

“We made three arrests under the bridges today on drug related offences and handed them over to the National drug Law enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further investigation and profiling.”

Meanwhile, HURIWA, through Its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the FCTA demonstrated the zeal to wipe off kidnappers from the city.

He urged Wike to sustain the ongoing measures, including the demolition of shanties, where the terrorists set up their operational cells.

According to him, efforts of the minister and FCTA to equip the police are a tangible way of providing the needed assurance to the panicky residents.

The group noted that, before now, residents were overwhelmed by the deluge of armed kidnappings and other manifestations of terrorism that threatened the stability of FCT.

According to the civil rights advocacy group, the demolition of rickety structures built by hoodlums in motor parks and other strategic areas of the metropolitan area by FCTA has driven many hoodlums, terrorists and kidnappers away from their operational bases in Abuja.