A taxi park reportedly turned to drug addicts colony and home for many other criminal elements in the nation’s capital has been demolished by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) over the weekend.
This administration in continuation of its operations against criminal activities in the nation’s capital vowed not to leave any stone on turned.
The park in question is 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 while speaking on behalf of the administration hinted that the taxi park had not only turned to environmental nuisance, but a security threat that can’t be allowed.
Gwary who led other officials in the demolition exercise, also hinted that in view of the persistent insecurity across the country, the administration was prepared to deal with all potential danger to residents.
According to him , ” In line with the city programme this place is a taxi rank, but it has been highly abused and turned nuisances. That is why we have to remove everything. This place has become a security threats and it breeds criminality, there are series of concerns from the residents as regarding the rate of criminality which emanates from this place”.
Similarly, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Committee on City Sanitation, Comrade Ikharo Attah said FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello was worried and pained that government’s efforts towards alleviating residents transportation difficulties was scuttled by miscreants.
He further noted 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.
Attah said, a place magnanimously provided by government to ease residents movement, unfortunately, had turned to a hiding place for drug addicts.
He also 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 directed to ensure that the nuisance does not return to the place.
According to him ; ” 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 nuisance he removed. The taxi rank has become a contravention that can’t be allowed.
” All the concerned department will ensure that the nuisance does not come back here, because this place is the heart of Maitama district.
” The Minister has ordered that we should green the place, to add to aesthetic of the city”, Attah noted.
