Indigenous people in the Lugbe Community of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the over-flooding of their place by miscreants who disguise as scavengers and are unleashing mayhem on lawful residents.
They cried out and appealed for the government’s quick intervention on Thursday when the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) resumed its onslaught against roadside trading and other illegal operators of the scrap market.
Some of the youth leaders in the community, who raised the alarm, said they have become very helpless and unsecured over the influx of miscreants and their increasing criminalities in the area.
One of the leaders, Yohanna Habila, noted that ” the community has tried to control them, but you know that these people are rude, they seem to have overshadowed the community at the moment. That is why we are appealing that the Taskforce should continue with this exercise to help in controlling them”.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah who led the squad for the operation, vowed that enforcement against roadside trading and other illegalities won’t be abated until the administration achieves the desired result.
Attah noted that containing the excesses of the miscreants has been tasking, but the squad will continue to live up to its responsibility.
While he expressed dismay that the dismantled illegal roadside markets that defaced the Airport road, had been reorganised by some residents, he stated that the cleaning exercise will be sustained.
According to him, the administration would soon begin to arrest both traders and those who promote roadside markets, as a deterrence to others in various communities.
Attah said, “What we came here to do is part of controlling roadside trading along the Airport road. We discovered that where we cleared last year for the community to use for their car park has been reoccupied again.
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“We will persistently keep coming and keep removing. Enforcement officers are paid to enforce, so we must enforce. It is contemporary deception to think that a city will grow to the extent of not needing enforcement.
“We are working to keep enforcing urban and regional and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board laws. Subsequently, we will also begin to make a massive arrest”.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune