The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has intensified efforts to tackle insecurity in Abuja suburbs by expanding its ongoing Operation Sweep to satellite communities and suspected criminal hideouts outside the city centre.
Secretary of the FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji, disclosed this during an enforcement operation in Wassa.
FCTA Focuses on Illegal Settlements
Olumuji said the operation targets illegal settlements and uncompleted buildings allegedly used as safe havens by criminals.
He listed affected areas to include Karasana, Kugbo, Jikwoyi and Karshi.
“We have received a lot of intelligence reports about crime and criminality in these areas. Some of these locations have served as safe havens for criminal elements,” he said.
Residents Received Prior Notice
Olumuji explained that development control officials had earlier marked many of the affected structures for removal.
He noted that authorities gave residents prior notice before beginning the enforcement exercise.
According to him, the operation aims to improve security across the Federal Capital Territory and prevent criminal groups from using informal settlements for illegal activities.
“The purpose of this removal is to ensure that the security of the FCT is sustained and residents remain safe at all times,” he stated.
Security Surveillance Expands Beyond City Centre
Olumuji stressed that authorities would not limit the exercise to Abuja city centre alone.
He said security agencies were extending surveillance and enforcement operations to rapidly growing border and suburban communities.
FCTA Evacuates Over 800 Destitute Persons
Head of Enforcement at the Social Development Secretariat, Ukachi Adebayo, revealed that officials had evacuated more than 800 destitute persons from different parts of Abuja.
She explained that authorities were profiling, rehabilitating and training those removed from the streets before reintegrating them into society.
Community Leaders Support Operation
Chairman of the Wassa community, Garzali Umar, backed the operation.
He said residents had repeatedly complained about suspicious activities and the increasing presence of unknown occupants within informal settlements in the area.
