Kidnapping: FCTA Dev’t Control Begins Profiling In Sagwari, Bwari

In efforts to combat the kidnapping menace head-on, the FCT Department of Development Control has commenced profiling of Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Bwari Area Council.

Sagwari is one of the communities worst hit by the recent kidnappings in Bwari.

The Director, Department Of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima who led the team, said the exercise was to ascertain causes of kidnappings in the area with a view to proferring solutions.

Galadima represented by the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Hassan Ogbole, said his office with the support of security personnel would identify buildings without approval and other illegal activities in the area.

Galadima who noted that most of the structures in the area were built without approval from development control, urged residents to desist from buying land from village chiefs and their agents.

He said after profiling, the department would recommend necessary measures that will curb the activities of criminals.

“The government will not condone this, in physical planning there are places that we reserve, these are reservations. So, we will put up our report and recommendations to the appropriate quarters and see what could be done.

“The exercise is a fact finding mission and part of the department’s periodic monitoring of development, what we came to realize of recent is the growing chain of illegal developments within the ecological sensitive zone to lower Usuman dam, which is supposed to be a secured site”.

“Activities of illegal developers is a threat to the FCT Administration and to the dam, in several occasions we have taken steps to carry out enforcement but unabated” .

“We attribute this to collaboration between developers and the local chief, the chief has records of every person.The place is not accessible, it’s not buildable, if you go up you can see underaged children on top of the rocks”.

The Secretary, Command and Control, Security Department, FCT Administration, Dr Peter Olumuji said the lapses were promoted by illegal activities being promoted by the locals.

Olumuji said, ” What we have seen here shows the level of insensitivity from the village chief, most of the people we interacted with said they got the land from the village chief, that the man never cares about the safety of lives and property within the area’.

“This mountain site that we visited, is where some persons were kidnapped, we have accessed the mountain site, based on the position of development control, it is against the planning template”.

“The honourable minister had assured Abuja residents of their safety, also as a fact finding mission and confidence building that the administration is not leaving them, we have checked and we will be sure that their security is certain.

By Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji