By ANGELA ATABO

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it has impounded over 700 vehicles with tinted glasses without permits, fake number plates and other traffic violations.

The FCTA Director, Department of Security Service, Adamu Gwary, disclosed this during a ‘Stop and Search’ operation, at the Apo – Wassa junction and Karu axis of Abuja.

Gwary, who was represented by the Secretary, Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, noted that the measure was geared toward curbing incidences of ‘one-chance syndrome’ in the FCT.

According to him, the exercise is part of the second phase of ‘Operation Sweep Abuja Clean’, a multi-agency crime prevention initiative.

He said that the joint taskforce operation had helped in recovering seven stolen vehicles within the last one week.

“The exercise targets criminally-inclined motorists, particularly those perpetrating notorious ‘one chance’ robberies in the city and satellite towns.

“We are seeing people who are into businesses using tinted glasses.

“Most of the victims that we have interrogated that have fallen victim of one chance, always let us know that the vehicles they boarded were tinted.

“As at now in Operation Sweep, we have impounded over 700 vehicles from both the first and second phases,” he said.

Gwary said intelligence gathered from victims revealed that most of the vehicles used for the ‘one chance’, were either illegally tinted, unregistered, or bearing fake number plates.

He warned that vehicle owners, such as cab drivers, had no justification for using tinted glass, which often times aided criminals in concealing their activities.

According to him, the operation has drastically reduced incidences of one chance to the barest minimum.

“Our stop-and-search exercise has made it clear to criminals that no matter where they are in the FCT, the team will always reach them,” he said.

He assured residents of the FCT that the operation was yielding results, citing several stolen vehicles recovered within the last week alone.

He therefore appealed to residents to bear with the temporary inconveniences caused by the stop-and-search operations, stressing that the measure was aimed at safeguarding lives and properties.

Also speaking, Mrs Deborah Osho, Head of Operations, Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) reiterated the administration’s commitment to rid the city of unregistered and unpainted taxis, commonly used by criminals.

Osho disclosed that several vehicles were impounded during the joint task force operation, for various offences such as, driving against traffic, lack of registration and use of number plates not assigned to the vehicles.

“This is a joint taskforce team, a joint collaboration with all agencies and especially the lead agency, which is the police.

“We work together, and because of their presence we apprehend a lot of vehicles, especially those driving against traffic. It is a common thing in Abuja and we are trying to stop them,” she said.

According to her, most of the one-chance perpetrators use vehicle number plates that cannot be traced.

She explained that once there was suspicion about such vehicles, they would be picked.

“Most of the one-chance vehicles either have fake number plates not traceable to the actual vehicles, or operate as unpainted taxis, making it difficult to identify them.

“Today in Karu, you can see the huge number of vehicles apprehended. This is sending a clear message that Abuja is difficult for criminals,” Osho said.

She assured residents that activities of the ‘Operation Sweep Abuja Clean’ would continue across the city and suburbs, until sanity was restored on Abuja roads.

Osho urged citizens to cooperate with enforcement officers for a safer and more secure FCT. (NAN)