FCTA Raids Unauthorised Taxi Parks Sheltering Criminals

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Command and Control Centre (CCC) of the FCT Administration, yesterday raided and dislodged several unapproved parking zones in Abuja metropolis for various traffic infractions, including harbouring one-chance syndicates and beggars.

The wide-scale operation at Banex Junction in Wuse 2 and the Federal Secretariat and its environs, involved operatives from the Nigerian Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Security (DSS), Immigration Service, Correctional Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Directorate of Road Traffic Service (DRTS), Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Social Development Secretariat (SDS) and other relevant agencies in the FCT.

The Secretary, Command and Control Centre, FCTA, Mr. Peter Olumuji, said the team, which acted on intelligence from relevant security and paramilitary agencies, dislodged the one-chance syndicates, who coveted unpainted taxies and operated in park locations not earmarked for parking of vehicles in the city.

Olumuji described the raid as part of its holistic operation to ensure free movement for every of resident of Abuja at every point of time as well as curb the menace of one chance and street begging.

“The enforcement team is all out to ensure that we raid any location that harbours indiscriminate parking, as we have been receiving reports about one chance, and the security agencies with us have been giving us credible intelligence on this issue. That’s why we have to go round the city and dislodge these unapproved parking zones.

“And beggars can also be used as a platform to gather information for criminal activities as well as constitute public nuisance within the city centre,” Olumuji said.

Similarly, Deputy Director, Operations, DRTS, Deborah Osho, disclosed that the team impounded no fewer than 15 vehicles from different locations within the city centre, for varying traffic rule violations, including rickety vehicles that were not supposed to ply the road.

She noted that apart from the illegal parks constituting serious traffic obstruction, the operators were also dividing and occupying major road corridors, including pedestrian ways, thereby disrupting the free flow of traffic.