By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
Commercial transporters and hoodlums today attacked the Federal Capital Territory Administration , FCTA, officials at a clean up exercise at Zuba, Gwagwalada Area Council of the nation’s capital.
The team who were at Zuba to clear up illegal parks and shanties were viciously attacked with seven persons seriously injured.
The personnel who were in the area to clear out illegal parks and shanties in Zuba, were viciously attacked leaving seven seriously injured. Trouble started when the DTRS officials started impounding vehicles immediately after the demolition exercise at the Zuba Park interchange.This irked the commercial motorists who started pelting stones to distrupt the ongoing demolition excersise. Seven officials were reportedly injured as others scampered for safety as they rushed into their waiting vehicles.Security agents attached to the team used tear gas canisters to disperse the miscreants who in return attacked and injured innocent persons.A member of the task force from DRTS who declined to be mentioned said, ” The security we went with was not enough, Zuba is a dangerous zone when it comes to clean up.”We only demolished the Park but couldn’t proceed to other areas locations.
We were expecting it but our “Ogas” just pushed us into danger, we hope to return back with a stronger force another day.”Meanwhile a leader of the transporters, Jubril Kyari insisted that the Park was duly allocated to them by the FCTA Transport Secretariat with documents.He said, ‘ We have documents to this effect but without any revocation order the minister came and demolished it.”He accused the FCTA of not giving them alternative place before removing them from the roads, adding that all transporters are pushed to Zuba main road which is causing heave traffic gridlock.
The major park loading vehicles to the north has been demolished while others will also be demolished, he lamented.He said, “People must travel to the states in the North and Zuba is a transit point for people travelling ti the Northern states so we will keep loading on the road until government provides an alternative for us.
“Daybreak reports that that those injured include a Police Inspector Jeremiah Timothy and one Suleiman Muss an AEPB staff among others.
The task team assigned to clear Zuba of all illegal Parks and shanties consists of officials from the Department of Development Control, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS).
