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The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has dismissed a trending video alleging its officials destroyed a public park in Abuja, insisting only illegal makeshift structures were removed during an ongoing city sanitation exercise.
The exercise, which is part of a wider security directive from the FCT Security Council, targeted identified hotspots notorious for harbouring hoodlums, scavengers, and illegal traders.
Speaking after the enforcement exercise code-named City Sanitation, on Monday, the FCT Director, Development Control, Muktar Galadima, said the exercise that began last week has led to a noticeable drop in crime rates in cleared zones.
The location according to city planners, forms part of an undeveloped transportation corridor stretching from AMAC to Wuse Zone 3, now being protected from land grabbers.
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He said that the corridor will be fenced and put to transport-related use, to prevent reoccupation and sustain the gains of the exercise.
“In the master plan of Abuja, and particularly the land use plan for Phase One and Garki District, this is part of the transit way corridor. It’s a system that runs across the city, from here up to behind the AMAC and Ministry of Defence, going towards Wuse, behind Fraser Suit, up to Wuse Zone 3. It’s a system, so we call it transit way system, which has not been developed yet. It’s a proposal, but it’s being maintained and protected against any instance of land grabbing,” he explained.
“Going forward, we intend to sustain, because we have been directed by the FCT Security Council, after clearing, we should take possession by way of fencing and putting those uses that are commensurate and friendly to city development,” Galadima added.
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To prevent illegal return of squatters, Galadima said the cleared site would be revisited regularly for mop-up operations.
Addressing claims of sudden demolition, Galadima stressed that adequate notice had been given.
On the security front, the FCTA Director of Security, Mr Adamu Gwary, said the operation was strategically targeting areas known to harbour criminals who attack unsuspecting residents.
The Director who was represented by Secretary Command and control Center of the department, Peter Olumuji added that the initiative was being supported by other ongoing operations to track and remove criminals from wherever they relocate.
Olumuji revealed that the clean-up had yielded security gains, with many criminal suspects arrested and prosecuted under the parallel Operation Sweep programme.
Hauwa Abu