By PHILIP YATAI

The Joint Task Force Team of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Thursday, impounded and crushed 639 commercial motorcycles for operating illegally in Abuja capital city.

This brought the total number of commercial motorcycles impounded and crushed to 1,509 between August and December.

A total of 400 motorcycles were impounded and crushed in August while 470 were crushed in September.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the motorcycles that were crushed on Thursday were impounded at strategic spots in the city centre where the motorcyclists operate.

The areas included airport road, Gudu, Lokogoma and Games Villega, among other locations.

Mr Abdulateef Bello, Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), stated during the exercise in Abuja,

Bello explained that the move was in continuation of efforts to remove commercial motorcycles still operating in the city centre in line with the provisions of the law.

“We have had this exercise in series, and I am sure by now, it is no more news that we will continue to impound commercial motorcycles that are still plying in the federal capital city.

“We have impounded over 600 motorcycles today, and they will all be crushed.

“The idea of crushing them is to serve as a deterrent to those who don’t believe that there is a barn on the operation of commercial motorcycles in the FCT,” he said.

Bello expressed concern that in spite of the arrest of a huge number of motorcyclists in recent times, the number of defaulters being arrested during any operation had remained high.

He promised to carry out intelligence gathering to determine the reason behind the high number of operators despite the clamp down.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Haruna Garba, said that the impoundment and crushing of the impounded motorcycles was to ensure that there was no room for criminalities in FCT.

Garba, who was represented by ACP, Operations, Mode Magawata, said that the motorcycles were impounded within FCT metropolis posing security threats.

According to him, most of the motorcycles are being used to allegedly facilitate criminal activities ranging from one chance, snatching of bags, mobile phones and other criminal activities like drug peddling.

Magawata said that the security agencies were given all the support and logistics to check criminal activities in the city.

He said that the state of criminality in the FCT was on a downward trend due to the clampdown on hoodlums and those using motorcycles to commit all kinds of crimes.

Similarly, Mr Olusola Odumosu, Commandant, FCT Command of NSCDC, said that most of the scavengers came into Abuja using motorcycles to perpetuate crime.

Odumosu, who was represented by Deputy Commandant Hussain Pama, in charge of Critical National Assets and Infrastructure, added that enforcing the ban on commercial motorcycles’ operations would reduce the rate of crime in the city. (NAN)

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