FCTA to maintain the demolition of a criminal hiding place in Abuja

Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reiterated its commitment to clean the huts and illegal structures that function as a hiding place for criminals in Abuja, swear that the exercise will continue throughout the city.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, a special assistant to the Minister of Public Communication and Social Media FCT, Lere Olayinka, described the demolition as a “public safety intervention targeted based on credible intelligence, and not an act of persecution of anyone.”

According to him, security institutions, including the National Narcotics Law Enforcement Agency (Ndlea) and the State Service Department (DSS), have identified several locations in FCT as a safe place for criminals. This includes a banana green belt that stretches from the middle mosque area to the Wuse 3 and 1 zone, as well as the corridor area 10.

“In this area, innocent citizens were attacked by attackers who then looked for protection in the Green Belt/Vegetation banana cover to escape from the arrest,” said Olayinka.

He revealed that the demolition of the new Shanantiies in Jazz and Blues Entertainment, Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3, was driven by intelligence reports that connect locations with sustainable criminal activities carried out by organized networks in the city.

Intelligence obtained and verified through several investigations of supervision and disguise from these locations, including jazz and blues entertainment in Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3, is that the park segment containing Shantiies and Batcher has proof of continuous criminal activity related to organized networks operating in FCT, “The Report,” the reading.

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Olayinka revealed that park management has ignored several violation notifications issued between February 2024 and July 2025.

“While FCTA acknowledged and respects the Air Commodore Balogun Air Military Service, stressed that national services are not licenses for each individual to store criminal elements,” he added.

He further stressed that demolition did not affect the main facilities of the park, including soccer fields, gymnasium, and display platforms.

FCTA said that cleaning throughout the city, which began on August 6, would be expanded to other districts in the coming weeks as part of efforts to ensure that Abuja remained safe for residents to live, work, and re -create.