The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday demolished the Durumi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp and other shanties as part of a strategy to address security challenges in the nation’s capital.

The Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Shehu Ahmad, while inspecting the exercise said that the supposed IDPs camp was a dual carriage road corridor with a rail modal.

Mr Ahmad said: “If most of them are not IDPs, then this is a straightforward issue and definitely not allocated, because these are slums that are supposed to convey dual transportation.

”But, they have been taken over by hoodlums, shanties. You can imagine the kind of criminality going on here.

“From the outlook we have here, they are not into any meaningful employment or serious activities.

”They constitute nuisances not only to the neighbourhood but to the entire city. We will continue to sustain this operation to rid the city of unruly behaviours.”

Mr Ahmad added that those that were arrested with hard drugs and other substances during the operation would be handed over to the police for further investigations.

The FCDA boss said the road corridor would be cleared and put in use for the public, urging that property owners must develop them or risk revocation.

Earlier, Ikharo Attah, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, decried the extreme criminality perpetrated in the area.

He said: “This is an operation that has long been a discussion point in the security committee meeting from March to date.

“The extreme criminality in areas like Garki, Durumi and Gudu were all traced to this area partly by some dangerous criminals all claiming to be IDPs but they are not.”

Also, the FCT Director of Security Services, Adamu Gwary, said the supposed IDPs camp used to serve as a hideout for criminals.

“By sacking the criminal den, the FCT Administration has succeeded in removing the criminal base which is the main essence of the operation,” he said.

On his part, the Director, Department of Development Control, Murktar Galadima, urged the owners of the properties to come and develop them so as to discourage the return of these illegal squatters.

One of those affected, Suleiman Yakubu, from Kogi said he has been living there for over four years.

”It is true there are lots of criminals committing all manners of criminality in this camp,” he said.  

(NAN)