By Bisola Adeyemo
A joint taskforce led by the Director, Security Services, FCTA, Adamu Gwary, raided some slums within Wuye District and Jabi, uncovered about seven bags of hard drugs suspected to be Indian hemp.
While addressing the Journalists after the raid, Gwary said that seven suspects were also arrested during the operation carried out by the taskforce comprising FCTA officials from the department of Development and Control, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) and Abuja Parks and Recreation.
According to him, the operation was a continuous exercise being spearheaded by the FCTA Department of Development and Control to help curb the general nuisance within the city centre.
He further explained that such act of illegalities have caused concerns for the Administration as it breeds criminality, he said that the operation will serve a dual purpose of restoring the aesthetics of the city as well as the nip in the bud the issue of insecurity.
“We addressed the areas at the fringes of Jabi and Wuye District where we received a report. You can see the quantity of drugs uncovered in the course of the operation.
We also looked at the shanties that are within the forest between Jabi and Wuye district where such shanties were removed Large quantity of weeds, found to be Indian hemp, was discovered.
“You can also see the way and manner at which such drugs were concealed. It presupposes that such
shanties are not only covering the activities of the petty criminals but drug barons.”
He disclosed that the bags containing substances suspected to be Indian hemp which serves as exhibits have been handed over to NDLEA.
Gwary explained that it took the diligent effort of the combined team of security agents comprising of men of the Nigeria Police Force, Army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and Vigilante Group of Nigeria who accompanied the FCTA officials to discover weeds which were carefully concealed beneath the ground in one of the shanties.
The director of security furthermore addressed the problem of undeveloped plots of land and abandoned buildings that are cover for criminals in the territory.
Recalling that, at a recent FCT Security Committee meeting, both the AMMC and Development Control being the city managers were mandated to enumerate those properties without further delay and take the necessary procedures against those who fail to develop their allocated plots, he assured that administration will no longer condone situations where such properties are being used as save haven for criminals.
He also assured that the FCTA would now confront headlong the problems of open urination on both sides of the road at Jabi Motor Park, where several business offices are located.
He condemned the flagrant environmental abuse at the Park while adding that the union leadership at the park had been warned that it would be liable for any act of lawlessness discovered at the frontage of the motor park.