Residents of housing estates in Karsana District, Abuja, have been thrown into panic as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, may have approved the establishment and operation of motor parks in between residential estates in the area.

Residents of Mab Global Estate and Queens Estate are shocked that the Minister who vowed to fight the terrifying insecurity in the FCT could grant approval to establish a motor park in between their residential estates.

When the Network visited the area on Monday, the alarmed residents expressed the fear that the Minister’s action if true will attract kidnappers and other perpetrators of violent crimes to their door steps.

They said that the approval granted a private firm would portray the minister as insincere and insensitive to the precarious security situation in the area.

A home owner, Mr James Adebayo, who spoke to this reporter, recalled how the wife of a permanent secretary was kidnapped and a ransom of N100 million paid to kidnappers in the area in November 2023.

He noted that there are sincere fears that the motor park would attract all manner of criminals to the strictly residential area wondering how the FCT administration which is believed to be battling insecurity would have taken decisions that would clearly worsen the bad security situation in the area.

He urged the minister to have a rethink (if true) and withdraw the approval granted to operators of motor packs whose operations would clearly aggravate the security woes in the area.

The purported approval letter dated May 25, 2023, four days to the end of the Buhari administration was signed by Abdullahi Adamu Candido, the Secretary, Transportation Secretariat.

However, the date of the letter granting approval to the firm has raised concern about the genuineness or otherwise of the approval.

There are indications that the FCT administration under Wike might have adopted the curious approval granted four days to the end of the Buhari administration going by the action of the firm.

The letter reads, “The Federal Capital Territory Administration granted the curious approval to develop the motor park in a letter of May 25, 2023, to the Managing Director, Fasaha & Sons Global Services Nig. Ltd, Mabglobal by Queen Estate Abuja.

“I am pleased to inform you that approval has been given to your Company for its engagement as Manager of Temporary Off-Street Parking at Karsana East by Mabglobal, Queen Estate, FCT Abuja, for a period of Five (5) years.

“Your engagement as a Manager for the period stated above is subject to renewal at the discretion of the Secretary, Transportation Secretariat.

“The structures to be erected at the Park shall be as approved by the Federal Capital Territory Administration.

“This engagement is subjected strictly to the attached conditions.”

Meanwhile, aggrieved residents of the affected estates have vowed to take the matter to the Minister saying it is doubtful and curious, that Wike would grant such an approval to undermine his own efforts against insecurity.

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