…As Drugs Baron Rebuild Demolished Colony

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TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

Bearly seven days after the Federal Capital Territory Administration  (FCTA) Ministerial TaskForce on City Sanitation unearth,  raided and demolished a notorious drug colony within Abuja city centre, the drugs beron have regrouped and threatened to rebuild the colony.

More shocking discoveries were made yesterday when the Task Force again raided the place during their routine surveillance and cleaning exercise where several packages of outlawed hard drugs and some weapons, like knives, axe and clubs were also found in the place.

Chairman of the Task Force,  Comrade Ikharo Attah confirmed that several members of the drug cartel fled the Area, leaving their wares but what surprised him most was their constant return to the Colony to continue their trade.

While adding that, two of the gang members were arrested and handed over to operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) who were also in the team.

Attah , also, noted that constant raiding of the areas have become imperative, as total sanitation and safety of the city can’t be achieved with desperate criminal elements left around the fringes of the city’s major road corridors.

According to him, ” it is not late to turn when you discovered you were travelling on the wrong road, the FCT Minister Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello gave us a directive to clear alignment from the Oladipo Diya Junction to the popular  Apo Roundabouts .

” After we finished clearing the illegal motor park,  we discovered that there is a very notorious drug market going on along that road corridor, and a little bit further up the hill.

He continued; ” We were here last week when we got so many of the hard drugs and arrested the dealers while some persons escaped, but today we have gone back there. Sadly, those we have cleared came back to rebuild their tents. We have cleared the rebuilt structures and recovered the drugs left by those who fled.

” We recovered so many raps of Indian hem and many bottles of codeine and several hard drugs. We also arredted two persons found at the scene. We have also discovered an illegal abattoir and recovered two rams. We have given 7 days notice to all the commercial people around Oladipo Diya  junction, because trading is not allowed here”, he stressed.

Attah further hinted that, all the illegal human settlements along the road , obstructing the road construction, and distorting the city’s master plan will not be spared, but that due diligent procedures will be followed.

Also speaking, a Director in the FCT Department of Resettlement and Compensation, Nasiru Suleiman, said that one of the  village constituting a nuisance by the road corridor will be demolished at due time, but those trading there have been given 7 days notice of demolition. 

Suleiman noted that the affected villagers have been properly compensated and resettled, and that the processes of removing all the illegal structures were on going.

According to him, ” All the people living in this Village have been resettled,  We have given them 135  houses and all we supposed to give have been given. We served them notice since January. We have come to give them the last notice, so that they will move out. They have to give way because they are disturbing the construction of the road interchange”. 

Charges Resident To Take Personal Responsibility For Their Health

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is determined to prosecute all those involved in orchestrating these infractions to the full extent of the law.

Bello also noted that there is a very real possibility that a single positive individual at that event could by now have gone ahead to infect several others thereby leading to a possible exponential spread.

has charged residents of the nation’s capital to take personal responsibility for their health and desist from violating the extant guidelines put in place to contain the further spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Territory.

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello gave the warning while reacting to the illegal music concert of Naira Marley held at the Jabi Lake Mall on Saturday.

 He further stated that , “Videos of the event which are still circulating on the social media clearly showed a concert going on with music and live performances by a band and dancers. The video also showed attendees dancing to the live performances on the elaborately constructed stage”.

He, however, reiterated that several aspects of the guidelines as postulated by the Presidential Task Force on COVID 19 as well as the FCT Administration were violated with reckless abandon.

“For purposes of emphasis” Bello said, “the PTF and FCTA’s guidelines clearly states the following; There shall be no gathering of more than 20 people outside of a workplace or places of worship; There should be mandatory use of face masks when in public; There should be social distancing of at least 2 meters between 2 people while in public.

More so,  there is a ban on all congregational events such as parties, weddings, concerts etc; There is a  closure of all  clubs, bars, gardens, beer parlors, recreational parks, communal sports facilities, movie theaters and so on; Markets and business premises are to remain open  between 8 am and 4 pm; and There is a ban on interstate travel.

All the guidelines as postulated above were clearly violated as the videos available on social media indicate the Minister added.

According to him, The FCT Administration views the actions of the organisers and attendees at this concert as reckless, wicked, insensitive and utter disrespect and disregard both for the law and the wellbeing and welfare of fellow citizens.
 

The Minister reminded residents that COVID-19 is real and the disease has proven to be fatal. More worrisome he said is the fact that the number of new infections has been on the rise in the country and the FCT. He expressed dissatisfaction with the non-adherence to basic-COVID-19 guidelines.

According to him, “It is disheartening to see residents not adhering to even the basic guidelines of facial covering, social distancing and hand washing or sanitizing. These guidelines have been put in place in order to save and safeguard lives”.

“Adherence to the guidelines could be the difference between life and death. This therefore begs the question; whether that concert or party which is clearly against the law is worth the health or life of a citizen. Clearly, no concert or party is worth the life of anyone” Malam Bello said

The FCT Minister also encouraged residents to report to the relevant authorities when they notice infractions of the guidelines as the FCT Administration will embark on stricter enforcement measures.

…As Drugs Baron Rebuild Demolished Colony

.

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

Bearly seven days after the Federal Capital Territory Administration  (FCTA) Ministerial TaskForce on City Sanitation unearth,  raided and demolished a notorious drug colony within Abuja city centre, the drugs beron have regrouped and threatened to rebuild the colony.

More shocking discoveries were made yesterday when the Task Force again raided the place during their routine surveillance and cleaning exercise where several packages of outlawed hard drugs and some weapons, like knives, axe and clubs were also found in the place.

Chairman of the Task Force,  Comrade Ikharo Attah confirmed that several members of the drug cartel fled the Area, leaving their wares but what surprised him most was their constant return to the Colony to continue their trade.

While adding that, two of the gang members were arrested and handed over to operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) who were also in the team.

Attah , also, noted that constant raiding of the areas have become imperative, as total sanitation and safety of the city can’t be achieved with desperate criminal elements left around the fringes of the city’s major road corridors.

According to him, ” it is not late to turn when you discovered you were travelling on the wrong road, the FCT Minister Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello gave us a directive to clear alignment from the Oladipo Diya Junction to the popular  Apo Roundabouts .

” After we finished clearing the illegal motor park,  we discovered that there is a very notorious drug market going on along that road corridor, and a little bit further up the hill.

He continued; ” We were here last week when we got so many of the hard drugs and arrested the dealers while some persons escaped, but today we have gone back there. Sadly, those we have cleared came back to rebuild their tents. We have cleared the rebuilt structures and recovered the drugs left by those who fled.

” We recovered so many raps of Indian hem and many bottles of codeine and several hard drugs. We also arredted two persons found at the scene. We have also discovered an illegal abattoir and recovered two rams. We have given 7 days notice to all the commercial people around Oladipo Diya  junction, because trading is not allowed here”, he stressed.

Attah further hinted that, all the illegal human settlements along the road , obstructing the road construction, and distorting the city’s master plan will not be spared, but that due diligent procedures will be followed.

Also speaking, a Director in the FCT Department of Resettlement and Compensation, Nasiru Suleiman, said that one of the  village constituting a nuisance by the road corridor will be demolished at due time, but those trading there have been given 7 days notice of demolition. 

Suleiman noted that the affected villagers have been properly compensated and resettled, and that the processes of removing all the illegal structures were on going.

According to him, ” All the people living in this Village have been resettled,  We have given them 135  houses and all we supposed to give have been given. We served them notice since January. We have come to give them the last notice, so that they will move out. They have to give way because they are disturbing the construction of the road interchange”. 

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

Indigenous people of Katsina state based in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency impose a state of emergency on the state following high level of insecurity in Katsina State.  

The group under the auspies of Concerned Katsina Youth Vanguard, expressed concerns over the recent developments leading to wanton killings of innocent people in the state was a stestament to the fact  that the state government could not guaranty the safety of lives and property of citizens of the state.  

Speaking to Journalists in Abuja, the Deputy spokesman of the group, Alh. Shamsudeen Danasibi Faskari, hinted that residents of the state are living in palpable fear, as security agencies in the state appears helpless, stressing that the situation has reached an unimaginable level.  

Faskari, affirmed that his local government area was the epic centre of senseless killings since December 2019, observed that other parts of the state are currently under siege by bandits  

The group, however, warned that if the Federal Government fails to takeover the state, the recent insecurity may pose a threat to national security, thus further worsening the intractable challenges in the country occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

According to him, “Precisely December 2019, we spoke eloquently through the press on the state of armed attack, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Dutsin-Ma Local Government Area of Katsina state. On that very occasion, we came up with a catalogue of 29 different cases of bandit attacks all in the month of December, 2019.  

“However, we observed that after our landmark press conference held last December 2019, normalcy was restored to the area. Regrettably, that relative peace was cut short as bandit attacks resumed in full swing in March, 2020, extending their operations to other parts of the state.  

“We have watched with a heavy heart how our people are being slaughtered like sheep and goats. We have also watched helplessly how communities are being invaded and how families and kindred are being wiped out by bandits, while security agencies appear helpless.  

He continued; “We have crossed the Rubicon and there is no turning back. Therefore, we are calling on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency imposed a state of emergency on the state. Federal Government should takeover the security apparatus of the state until lives and property of citizens are guaranteed. The lives of our people is far more precious than any office.  

“In case, government fails to take immediate action towards restoration of peace in the state, then we have no option than to resort to self-defence which might lead to a threat to national peace and security. We did not pray that Nigeria gets to that level of lawlessness because we have too many battles in our hands as a nation,” Faskari stated.  

The group used the occasion to blame the state government on the spate of insecurity in the state, noting that the cease-fire deal reached with the bandits has not yielded any result.  

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) through its Ministerial Taskforce on Covid -19 restrictions on Sunday sealed up the popular Jabi Lake Mall in the nation’s capital for violating the Presidential Task Force’s order on the ban of public and social gatherings.

The leader of the Taskteam, Comrade Ikharo Attah said these measures are put in place to contain the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic that is ravaging the world.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Abuja after sealing off the mall, Attah lamented that despite many warnings from the presidential Task Force and the FCT Administration on guidelines to operate, the management of the Jabi Lake mall chose to encourage and permit a concert by their customer Naira Marley and also conducted business activities to exceed the normal hours allowed by the authorities.

He, however, stated that the administration has secured a judgement from a mobile court headed by Magistrate Idayat Akonni who sat in the mall’s premises in Jabi to seal up the mall for two weeks for the default of the COVID-19 protocols bearing three count charges on the Mall.

He further stressed that the seal up order was necessitated by the the unlawful and embarrassing event at the mall on Friday night.

When asked if the FCT administration plans to declare Marley wanted, Attah noted that: “ He flew in to Abuja Friday from Lagos and returned back same day. We are convinced that the Lagos state govt who had in recent past had unpleasant experience with the artist will do the needful since he also breached the inter state travel ban which applies to Lagos State “.

..As NCDC DG Lauds FCTA Over Management Of Pandemic

TOYIN ADEBAYO, ABUJA

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Muhammad Musa Bello has charged royal fathers and Area Council Chairmen in the nation’s capital to take on the responsibility of educating and sensitizing residents at the grassroots level on the need to adhere to established protocols in the fight against COVID-19 in the FCT.

He made this known at an emergency COVID 19 meeting of stakeholders in the FCT including religious, traditional and political leaders.

The meeting also had in attendance the Director General of Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID -19, Dr Sani Aliyu amongst other participants

Bello who chaired the meeting, expressed the appreciation of the FCTA to the frontline health workers and called for a standing ovation for them for their efforts in the fight against the virus in the FCT.

Speaking on the education and sensitization of residents at the grassroots level, the minister said that the onus of spreading the information of the virus at that level fell heavily on the shoulders on the Area Council Administration and traditional and religious institutions at that level.

He, however, pledged the Administration’s commitment to the fight against the virus, he said that defeating it required a collective responsibility by all and urged all the stakeholders to also play their part, by supporting the efforts of the Administration.

Earlier, the FCT Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu also warned against the stigmatization of COVID 19 patients who, she stressed did not deliberately seek to be infected and like the FCT Minister, she also called for the collective efforts of all stakeholders in the fight against the virus.

Aliyu also asked residents to disregard misinformation that the government was involved in the spread of the virus and said they should instead focus on curbing its spread through the obedience to extant guidelines of wearing face masks, maintain personal hygiene and observing social distancing.

She also reminded all the stakeholders on community transmission which was on-going and said it would take collective efforts by all to stop its spread.

Meanwhile, the Director General of the (NCDC), Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu commended the FCT Administration for the construction of the road leading to the National Reference Laboratory at Gaduwa, Abuja which he said has increased the efficiency of the facility.

Ihekweazu also commended leadership of the FCT Administration for being proactive in its approach to battling the pandemic and also charged the traditional rulers on sensitizing the people at the grassroot level.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr. Sani Aliyu, said that the best way to fight the virus is through an attitudinal change by the people. This, he said, is where the traditional and religious leaders come in through community engagement.

He disclosed that the virus was now in the communities, adding that the important issue residents should be concerned about is ‘staying alive’ while the pandemic lasts.

While briefing the meeting on the situation of the pandemic in the FCT, the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Doris John, gave an overview of the spread while also stressing on the rising level of community transmission.

She also stated that poor adherence to preventive measures increased the spread of the virus while late presentation of cases has led to increased number of fatalities.

She also mentioned that the major challenges faced by health workers in the fight against the pandemic are stigmatization and denial, myth and misconception, confirmed cases refusing to be evacuated to treatment centers, low involvement of key stakeholders at the community levels, increasing number of sick frontline health workers and the high number of imported cases to the FCT.

Speaking, the traditional rulers pledged their commitment to the fight against the virus in their communities.