The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mallam Muhammad Bello has attributed the clampdown on illegal squatter settlements within highbrow areas of Abuja to a strong collaboration between various Divisions of the Nigeria Police and Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB).
The Minister, who expressed joy over the development, said it was commendable that there is a budding heavy interagency collaboration between the Police and AEPB in tackling the proliferation of squatter settlements used as criminal hideouts in the city.
He spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, who observed the clearing of illegal make shift settlements built on flood plains, in the Maitama and Wuse Districts of Abuja.
He disclosed that the Maitama Police Division had identified the place as a criminal hideout, where people come in a very offensive manner, to build shanties and other structures, and wanted them removed, as they met the environmental team headed by Kaka Bello through the AEPB Director.
According to him: “It is commendable that we have inter agency collaboration between the AEPB and Nigeria Police, going around Maitama axis, clearing shanties and criminal hideouts.
“They are doing a wonderful job across the Maitama District, which is why the Minister really insists on.
“This is what the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bello has canvassed, and already insisted on it going forward that within the confines of government, there should be a heavy inter-agency collaboration”.
Also speaking, the Head, of monitoring and enforcement, AEPB, TPL Kaka Bello, said the collaboration is in line with the Board’s continuous effort to ensure that the city is clean and safe for the inhabitants.
He noted that the safety of the inhabitants of the structures and the neighbourhood is not guaranteed, considering the nature of the structures and the people occupying them.
He disclosed that they have been given a matching order by AEPB Director, to work in collaboration with the Police, to ensure that all illegal squatter settlements and other sundry nuisances in the city are removed.
“It is a waterway prone to flooding, and people are here building illegal settlements, thereby impending free flow of water, especially during the rainy season. It is unfortunate that we have this kind of illegality here, which is a highbrow area.
“We are now in collaboration with the Police, so we will continue the raid. And we are moving to other locations, especially under the bridges, where all sort of these illegalities are happening in the city.
“We are committed to freeing this place from all forms of sundry nuisance being constituted by the presence of illegal squatters. We will ensure that they are prosecuted when necessary”, the AEPB scribe stressed.
Bello said “We informed, and this is not the first time we are coming here. We have been here severally, but they kept on flaunting the rules.
“We gave them the opportunity to pack their belongings before we moved in and cleared the structures. So they know that they are not supposed to be here”.
Olusola Akintonde
