The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) vowed to close unlawful motor parks throughout the territory on Thursday in response to the recent series of security issues in the nation’s capital.
In response to the operations of “one-chance” thieves in the nation’s capital, Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT, made this known to reporters during a conversation in his office.
According to Platinum Times, a number of ‘one-chance’ robberies, kidnappings, and other criminal acts have been reported in the region.
Some locals are afraid due to the security situation as criminal elements that pose as commercial vehicle drivers to rob or kidnap unsuspecting victims continue their attacks.
A combined task force on cross-border crimes was established last week to combat the security threat known as “one-chance” robbery, according to the minister, who was speaking about the measures done so far to solve the security problem.
“We’re getting a lot of reports about kidnappings here, about one-chance there,” Wike said.
“In most cases, we don’t even let the public know what has been done. I can tell you the security agencies have done quite a lot. If not, by now, the FCT would have been a different thing.
“One of the areas we identified is that the FCT is at the centre – we have Niger State, we have Kogi State, we have Nasarawa State, we have Kaduna State. And if you check these four states, these four states are states that experience banditry and kidnapping from time to time.
“And we discovered that most of the areas that they (criminals) stay are shanties and uncompleted buildings, and that is why we say we cannot allow these uncompleted buildings where criminals have made their place of abode.
“Bring down all these uncompleted buildings which have turned to shanties and they will have nowhere to hide.”
“Just last week, we set up a task force on those states that we have borders with and one-chance. Joint security task force including the SSS, the police, the army, the navy, and they have identified the way they will operate.
“To tell you that we are concerned. That is why we have to set up this joint task force for one-chance and border control.
“Again, you see a lot of illegal motor parks. When we come up with a policy that we can’t allow these illegal motor parks, people will come up to say the economy is hard, things are tough but nobody wants to look at it from the security implication.
“We are also planning to shut down some of these illegal motor parks.”