By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As the Yuletide season draws near, the FCT Task Force of the Federal Capital Development Administration, FCTA, has commenced a special operation to raid “one chance “operators and beggars off the streets to make Abuja safe throughout the festival season.
The Director of the Department Mr. Adamu Gwary, who was represented by Secretary Command and Control Cent, Dr. Peter Olumuji on Wednesday after the exercise told newsmen that the operation commenced on Monday and will continue throughout the festive period to January next year.
“We started on Monday, and we are going to carry it all through the festive period until January next year.”
“This is because, if we do not sustain it, criminal elements will capitalize on any little gap to continue their nefarious activities,” he said.
According to him, the operation, led by the command and control centre, was designed to curb the menace of one chance operators, beggars, and illegal motor parks, and in the capital city.
“You know the issue of one chance has been on the front burner in FCT. This operation was designed to support ongoing efforts by the Nigeria police and other security agencies to rid the city of criminals posing as commercial drivers,” he explained.
The director added that several suspects have been apprehended during Wednesday’s operation.
Furthermore, he disclosed that many suspected vehicles used for one chance operations were impounded by the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, DRTS, as part of efforts to secure the FCT.
“Like we all know, we are approaching the festive period, and these criminal elements will try to play a fast one in getting more financial benefits.”
“The Minister of the FCT, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has directed that the operation be sustained so that every commuter in the FCT will be able to move safely, from one point to the other, without any form of harassment,” he said.
He also said that seven beggars have been apprehended for disobeying the ban on street begging in some areas of the federal capital.
Gwary said that the beggars were in the custody of the FCTA’s Social Development Secretariat for profiling and further action.
“We have also apprehended a suspect for impersonating the Nigeria police. The suspect was caught with a very long locally fabricated knife inside his vehicle.”
“He claimed to be a policeman but from what we have seen, that may not be true. So, we have handed him over to the police for profiling and further investigation,” he said.
Gwary encouraged FCT residents to be vigilant when boarding any vehicle, especially at night.
“If there’s nothing else you can remember, just try to remember the colour and the make of the vehicle, and if you can also get the plate number of that vehicle, just get it.”
“Before you enter any vehicle, send the details to someone, so that if anything happens to you, we can quickly track that number and apprehend the suspect.”
“For the suspect apprehended today, we have handed them over to the police and they are going to profile them and further investigation.
“Also, for the vehicles that we have impounded without a plate number, some with one plate number, some not roadworthy, the DRTS will do the needful,” Gwary said.
Head of Operations, DRTS, Mrs. Deborah Isho said that the operation was being conducted in the evening, though the night because that was the time most of the one chance syndicates operate.
“People close from work in the evening, tired, and in a hurry to go home, will take any available vehicle.”
“The operation is not only to apprehend one chance operators and impound their vehicle, but also to destabilize their operations and make the city very hot for them to operate,” she said.
Osho said that more than 30 vehicles were impounded during Tuesday’s operation alone, adding that a similar number were impounded on Wednesday.
Also, Mr. Mustapha Yunusa, Principal Social Welfare Officer, Social Development Secretariat, described the operation, particularly enforcing the ban on the street begging a “huge success.”
Yunusa said the number of beggars operating in front of the National Mosque has drastically reduced from over a 100 to just four.
“Usually, the National Mosque is a depot for beggars. If you go to the National Mosque, you will apprehend not less than a 100, but today, because of the operation, we apprehended only four beggars.
“This shows that the special task force is working,” he said.
He said that some of the apprehended beggars that were trainable would be rehabilitated and trained in various self-sustaining skills, while those that could not be trained would be repatriated and be united with their families.
