FCTA To Clear Shanties Posing Security Threats In Durumi, Garki

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to clearing all illegal settlements, particularly shanties that serve as criminal hideouts and obstruct developmental projects in the Federal Capital City.

According to the Administration, the ongoing crackdown on criminal enclaves across Abuja will be sustained, noting with concern the growing security challenges emanating from parts of Durumi District, especially Area 1 in Garki.

These areas, it said, have become notorious for crimes such as robbery, carjacking, drug peddling, and other violent activities that threaten the safety of law-abiding residents.

To ensure a safer and more secure city, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has inaugurated a multi-stakeholder committee comprising heads of security agencies, senior FCTA officials, Civil Society Organisations, and representatives of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), among others.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, disclosed that the committee identified the shanties in Area 1, Durumi, as operational bases for kidnappers, drug dealers, and “one-chance” syndicates.

These illegal structures, he added, not only endanger residents but also prevent land allottees and government agencies from developing properties allocated over two decades ago.

He recalled that in a joint security operation carried out in the same area three months ago, over 120 miscreants were arrested, including drug peddlers, one-chance operators, carjackers, and armed robbers.

*Seven stolen vehicles and 79 motorcycles were recovered, alongside 155 stolen ATM cards belonging to victims. Although some shanties were cleared during that operation, the illegal occupants have since regrouped, reinstating criminal activities and rendering the area unsafe.”

Consequently, the FCTA has commenced the demolition of shanties in the city centre and has assured that the illegal structures in Area 1, Durumi, will also be cleared in the coming days.

Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji