The FCT Administration (FCTA) on Monday demolished Spotlight Garden Events and Recreation in Wuye District over an alleged violation of parks’ closing time regulation by operating beyond 7:00 p.m.

Umar Shuaibu, the coordinator, Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), who led the team, told journalists that there was no going back on the enforcement of the 7:00 p.m. closing time for parks in Abuja.

Mr Shuaibu said the allottee and operator of the spotlight garden would be prosecuted for violating the regulations, which led to the death of an innocent citizen.

“Just last week at a park called Spotlight Garden Events and Recreation in Wuye District, the operator flagrantly violated our closing time regulation by operating beyond 7:00 p.m.

“This attracted the activities of armed hoodlums who gunned down a gallant security officer in cold blood. This could have been avoided if they had complied with our regulations,” he said.

Mr Shuaibu said the park operator had been arrested, adding that the park stand allocation was revoked and the site would be recovered by the FCTA immediately.

He said this would serve as a warning to all park allottees and operators who arrogantly violate the laid down rules and regulations.

Mr Shuaibu explained that the enforcement of the 7:00 p.m. closing time for parks and gardens in Abuja was necessitated by the security challenges and public disturbances arising from the activities of parks at night.

He decried the situation whereby most parks in the FCT are not operating in line with the park policy they agreed on.

The coordinator added that 82 per cent of the total land allocated to each park must be devoted to greening.

He said that only 18 per cent of the land was for pavement, saying, “unfortunately, most park operators change them for an entirely different purpose.

Mr Shuaibu said the FCTA had engaged many operators of parks and violators of other land use regulations across the Federal Capital City.

“However, some are proving to be recalcitrant. This will never be acceptable by the administration. Appropriate stern action, including revocation, will be meted to those allocations,” he said.

(NAN)