The Apo Division of the FCT Police Command has lauded the Federal Capital Territory Administration Taskforce for destroying suspected criminal hideouts in the Apo Cadastral Zone District of Abuja.
The Police Officers who visited the demolition site but declined to make official press statements said destroying the enclave would bring relief to residents around the area.
FCTA’s Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said verifiable intelligence had established that the area, specifically Cadastral Zone E27, Apo District (Apo Resettlement) has been hideout to questionable characters contributing to the insecurity of Apo and its surrounding environment.
Galadima revealed that the area was not only a dark, notorious spot, but that there had been instances of killings within the environment.
“This is part of the continuation of the city sanitation exercise to rid the city of criminal elements. So this place has been identified as one of the notorious dark spots. I recall also efforts were made in the past, but this time around we came in to do a total clearance of the place.
“There are credible and verifiable security and intelligence reports about these locations. Instances where some people were even killed around this place.
“So, for the fact that this place was identified as a dark spot, it’s enough for this exercise to continue. So that’s why we’re here and we will make sure that we clear this place once and for all. Unlike before that we just come and push the shanties. This time around we are going to remove everything and even fence the place,” he said.
The Director stated that the FCT administration has devised a strategy to deny miscreants access to recovered green areas and empty plots of land.
“We have applied many options but this time around, we are going to devise a new strategy which I won’t like to say now. By the time we take action, then you people will see and identify that this is a new strategy for handling some of these crises”, he said.
Also speaking, Dr. Peter Olumuji, who represented the Director, FCT Security Department, Adamu Gwary, confirmed that reports showed that residents around the area have at various times complained about the criminal activities of the place.
He said that aside from being a hub for suspected armed robbers, vices such as illicit drug peddling have also been thriving in the area.
“We have issues like illicit drug peddling and sales here and intake. We have issues of armed robbery and even housebreaking within this environment. Just so you know, some few weeks ago there was this attack on the residents that the criminal element used as a cover.
“Thank God for the good response time of the Nigerian police and sister agencies that were able to repel them.
“Over 50 criminal armed robbers came here to attack the residents here. But the quick response from the FCT police command and sister agencies prevented that attack from snowballing”, he said.
