The Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has conducted a major clearance operation at the popular UTC Complex and its surrounding area, targeting what it described as a "dark spot" and haven for criminal elements.
The Director of Development Control in the FCTA, TPL Mukhtar Galadima, told journalists at the site that the operation was part of a broader city sanitation and security initiative.
Galadima explained that the operation began with the clearing of a dumpsite near the UTC complex before moving to the main area where "hoodlums were."
He noted that the FCT Security Council had directed the operation and that the administration planned to sustain the effort to ensure lasting change.
The cleared land, located within the transit way corridor of the Abuja Master Plan, will be secured through fencing to prevent future encroachment.
"In the Abuja Master Plan, the Land Use Act for Phase One and Garki District, this is part of the transit way corridor. It has not been developed yet, but it is being maintained and protected against any instance of land grabbing," he said.
Responding to recent social media backlash regarding the demolition of a garden in Zone 3, Galadima clarified that proper procedures were followed and that the garden, Panorama, was never demolished.
He stated that notices were served as far back as October 2023, with subsequent notices in 2024 and February 2025.
Galadima said he also personally met with mechanics and even miscreants in the area to inform them of the impending clearance.
He stressed that the park itself was not destroyed, saying, "The Park which was allocated to Panorama is still in existence. If you go there till today, the playground is there, the Gym is there, even the lounge. All other facilities are there in the Park."
The director added that only "makeshift structures" and "scavengers' shanties" were removed.
The Director of Security, represented by Dr Peter Olumuji, further explained that the clearance operation is part of a "purposeful" effort to tackle locations where criminals operate.
He noted a significant drop in crime rates in areas that have been cleared over the past week, according to statistics from the FCT Police Command.
"Since we started this operation one week ago, up till now, from the crime statistics records we followed up from the FCT Police Command, we noticed that the crime rate within the areas we have removed have reduced drastically," Olumuji said.
He confirmed that arrested criminal elements are being profiled for prosecution and that the FCT's "Operation Sweep Abuja" is simultaneously tracking and removing displaced criminals from other locations.
Olumuji revealed that "several machetes" used to attack residents have been recovered during the operations.
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