A mild drama played out on Thursday in Abuja, when suspected criminals abandoned their wives and children and scampered for safety, after their deadly colonies were invaded by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Task Force.

The Task Force said the colonies have been very notorious, as criminal elements reportedly migrate from there to rob residents and motorists around the Central Business District and Wuse Zone 3 axis

The suspects, on sighting the Task Force quickly scaled all available barriers in the bush, located in the undeveloped plots of land, leaving behind their little children and some weak women, also suspected to be their wives.

However, about 20 of the suspects were arrested and handed over to the Wuse Divisional Police Headquarters.

Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, who led the operation alongside Heads of the military, police and paramilitary components of the Task Force, said the criminal colonies have remained a source of concern to the administration.

Attah also noted that the criminal activities in the areas are thriving, because the owners of the undeveloped plots of land have left them fallow for over two decades.

He disclosed that the minister having made passionate appeals to the owners of land to come and develop it, may have no other option than to revoke them.

“What we are seeing here today is very bad for the city. We have cleared these places around September 2021, but the place has been rebuilt because owners of the undeveloped plots have left it fallow for about two to three decades now.

“FCT Minister has called upon them to come and develop these lands, but have not come. The FCTA may have no other option than to think of revoking the plots,” he said.

Also speaking, Deputy Director, Enforcement, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), Kaka Bello, lamented that government has been spending a lot of money mobilising human resources for the clean-up of the undeveloped plots. (Courtesy, excluding headline, New Telegraph)

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