Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barr Nyesom Wike, has ordered the immediate demolition of an illegal settlement in Karmajiji, Kukwaba District of Abuja, following intelligence reports linking the area to criminal activities.
Wike gave the directive on Friday after leading security operatives to inspect the settlement shortly after the FCT Security Committee meeting.
He said the shanties had become a safe haven for suspected criminals who allegedly retreat there after carrying out attacks in parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Describing the settlement as a major security threat, the minister declared that the FCT Administration would no longer tolerate criminal hideouts within the nation’s capital.
“Look at the area. You don’t even know who the occupants are. How do you identify them? How do you know where to locate them? And this is inside the city.
“This is a time bomb. There is no way we can allow this. The FCT Administration will not allow criminal hideouts to thrive in Abuja,” Wike said.
He immediately directed the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, to work with the Department of Development Control to pull down the illegal structures.
The minister warned that anyone using such settlements to harbour or support criminal activities would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
He explained that the demolition was part of the FCT Administration’s ongoing offensive against criminal enclaves aimed at improving security and protecting residents.
Wike assured Abuja residents that the administration would continue to intensify security operations to ensure that lives and property remain safe across the territory.
