…Vows To Rid Parks Off Drugs , Criminality
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has sealed off a park at Wuse Zone 5 for allegedly playing host to drugs peddlers.
This is as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided the said park located at Peb 04 plaza where six persons were arrested for peddling drugs.
Umar Shuaibu, the Coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), who led his team to the seal up exercise brief newsmen that all activities at the park are to cease and all illegal structures inside the park will be removed as soon as possible.
The AMMC Coordinator, “The reason why we are here is because of the information we heard about sale of drugs here. It prompted us to dig out history of how the park came to being. Yes, we gave approval for extension, to the owner of PEB 04 Plaza that sort for extension of the building and it was granted. But any extension we grant is specifically for green areas not for any activities or commercialization, anytime we give extension of a building it is for green areas”.
“Even the structures and activities that were not approved by us are taking place here.
“This matter is very weighty,
we sealed off the place pending further investigation on the matter. Already we have called on all park operators in FCT for a meeting in order to ensure that whatever they are doing is in line with the laws and we mentioned specifically the issue of illegal activities like those selling drugs and noise pollution all these we spelt out.
“And this will serve as deterent to others and anyone that is caught violating our laws we will prosecute. NDLEA has raided this park and they caught them with drugs. So it is already established that they were peddling drugs here .
“We have already serve them the enforcement notice and whatever is illegal we are going to remove it as soon as possible .
The demolition will be as soon as possible”, he explained.
Shuaib hinted on possible revocation of the extension, he said, “Definitely, whatever is required and then we are going to have ensure we follow legal processes and ensure due process is followed.
“There are dos and don’t for whatever approval of land that is allocated, normally extensions are for greening of the area but as you can see, it has already been violated”.
Meanwhile, the Director of Development Control Tpl Muktar Galadima, said, FCT administration is in collaboration with NDLEA,
“This is just an eye opener, we are not going to wait and allow another park to be identified, we are working on collaboration with NDLEA, we also want to urge them to spread their tentacle further to other parks. And then we will take necessary action”.
It would be recalled that operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) raided Peb 04 plaza park on January, 19 and arrested six persons for selling drug cookies and noodles.
Rachael Famiyesun, 29, was arrested along with her sales girl, Stella Sunday, 20, for dealing in drug cookies.
They were also caught selling bottles of ‘Zobo’ drink prepared with cannabis.
Another business operator in the garden, Moses Obi was also arrested with his sales girl, Aisha Abdulrahman, 19, for selling indomien noodles prepared with cannabis.
A bar man, Ahonye Jonah, 31, who worked with the garden owner, was equally arrested while one of their customers, 38-year-old Ngozi Justina Emelogu, was also picked during the raid.
