By Ben Adoga, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA has continued its demolition of illegal settlements and other structures in the Mpape community.
The demolition teams appear to be focussing on hoodlums hideouts and Crush Rock Tourism site where criminals usually pose as law enforcement agents while robbing people and terrorizing residents.
Recall that a few months ago Mpape community witnessed massive demolition of illegal structures and cleared the area.
But to the amazement of the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to FCT the Minister on Monitoring, Inspection, and Enforcement, Comrade Ikharo Attah who personally supervised the demolition, the structures have all reappeared as the shanties and illegal structures have all been rebuilt.
The FCT Administration had set aside Mpape Crush Rock water site as a tourist attraction and has started receiving attention from the private sector.
Already, the FCT Administration and the private sector are collaborating to develop the tourism potentials.
The SSA condemned the resurfacing of the structures and activities of hoodlums in the area.
The exercise which was led by the Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, lasted for hours bringing to an end the criminal siege of the criminals in the area.
Attah noted that the Administration was working hard to commence construction of the Mpape Road projects, but residents have continued to distract attention by contravening development plans.
He added that the aggressive attack on illegalities around the tourism site was to ensure safety for tourists during this Yuletide and the holidays.
Recall that tourists have been harassed and molested by hoodlums at the site, including one of the media aides to the Deputy Senate President, Lara Wise. He stated that the Administration cannot watch while criminal elements continue their terror reign.
According to him, even the Divisional Police Officer in Mpape, CSP Adamu Faisa, who had earlier called for the dislodgement of the hoodlums, was happy that the site was finally secured.
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Attah said, ” coming back to Mpape today is to achieve two things, to clear the road which is already getting congested. They are already rebuilding the illegal structures, secondly, to dislodge the hoodlums in this tourism site, which has been a problem.
” Looking around here, you will see the activities of scavengers and hoodlums, making tourism activities here very difficult. We have cleared here before and these hoodlums left, but unfortunately, they are regrouping. The hoodlums have been snatching people’s bags and making them pay a certain amount.”
Also speaking, the Deputy Director of Abuja Environmental Protection Board, Kaka Bello, said his team would intensify it operations in the area to continue to keep the hoodlums away from the area.
