The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike has said all areas suspected to be havens for criminals in the territory must be demolished.
The Minister stated this when he led a team of Task Force to inspect the site for the proposed Mabushi-Katampe road corridor that is taken over by scavengers.
The Minister who was accompanied by a combined team of security personnel and senior officials of FCT Administration, called on the Department of Development Control to clear the place without delay.
The Minister stressed, “This place is where people commit crimes and come to hide, the Department of Development Control should clear this area immediately so that the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) will come in for the necessary things.
“There is nothing like compensation, development control must clear this area immediately so that all these criminals won’t be here. These are places where people will commit crimes and run down here for cover, and people will say FCT does this and that.
“We will do everything possible to see that this area is cleaned up, it will make the people here not to be disturbed”
On his part, the Coordinator of, the Federal Capital Territory City Management Task Team, Mukhtar Galadima who described the exercise as the mother of all clean-ups, said the illegal activities will be cleared as directed by the Minister.
Galadima who is also the Director of, the Department of Development Control, said In the master plan of Abuja, “There is provision for different hierarchy of road networks, so this area is a proposed transit road network that transverses the entire city across the districts.
“It is a type of road network that consists of dual modes of transportation. The area is called the scavengers colony which is situated within the road corridor of the Mabushi and Katampe districts.
“With the security challenges across the country, illegal activities of this nature will not be allowed. The area will not be allowed to stand.
“Security is a national issue, it is everybody’s concern that is why we are not considering compensation, we have to secure the place. After the clearing, the FCDA will move in immediately, nobody will come in and settle again. It is a mother of all exercises because demolition, evacuation and general clean up are involved,“ he said.
