By Muhammad Tanimu, Abuja
… demolishes taxi park turned to drug colony
In continuation of its operations against criminal activities, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA ), has over the weekend demolished a taxi park, reportedly turned to drug addicts’ colonies and home for many other criminal elements.
The Administration said the place, located at Nicon junction in Maitama district, was supposed to be an interchange by the Abuja Master plan, but temporarily made a taxi park, to mitigate the hardship of commuters.
Director, FCTA Security services department, Adamu Gwari, said the taxi park had not only turned to environmental nuisance, but a security threat that can’t be allowed.
Gwari who led other officials in the demolition exercise, also noted that in view of the persistent insecurity across the country, the administration was prepared to deal with all potential dangers to residents.
“In line with the city programme, this place is a taxi rank, but it has been highly abused and turned nuisance. That is why we have to remove everything. This place has become a security threat and it breeds criminality, there are series of concerns from the residents regarding the rate of criminality which emanates from this place”.
Also speaking, Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Ikharo Attah said FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello was worried and pained that government’s efforts towards alleviating residents’ transportation difficulties was scuttled by miscreants.
Attah explained that the Ministerial directive to immediately demolish the taxi park , was meant to promptly address a brewing insecurity within the highbrow Maitama district, saying the park was terribly abused.
According to him, a place magnanimously provided by government to ease residents’ movement, unfortunately, had turned to a hiding place for drug addicts.
He vowed that the contravention won’t be allowed to remain an environmental nuisance and also breed insecurity within the neighbourhood and the territory at large.
He also added that all relevant departments and agencies have been directed to ensure that nuisance does not return to the place.
” This place is supposed to be an interchange according to the plans, but temporarily turned to a taxi rank to manage transportation problem, but the place was badly abused. The place was turned to home for drug addicts and has become very dangerous for the neighbourhood here.
” The Minister was was clear when he gave a matching order that this place be removed. The taxi rank has become a contravention that can’t be allowed.
” The Minister has ordered us to green the place, to add to aesthetics of the city”, Attah noted.