FCTA Moves To Demolish Abuja Shanties As Wike Targets Criminal Hideouts
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has vowed to clear illegal shanties in Abuja city centre, describing them as safe havens for kidnappers, carjackers, drug dealers, and one-chance operators.
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, said on Monday that the demolition drive would focus on notorious enclaves in Durumi District and Area 1, Garki, which have repeatedly resurfaced despite earlier raids.
About three months ago, security agencies stormed the Area 1–Durumi axis, arresting over 120 suspects, including armed robbers and drug peddlers. Seven stolen cars, 79 motorcycles, and 155 ATM cards snatched from victims were recovered during the operation.
But with the shanties rebuilt and criminals regrouping, the FCTA insists the clearance will go on. “The ongoing onslaught on criminal hideouts in Abuja will continue,” Olayinka stressed.
The Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has also inaugurated a Stakeholders’ Committee made up of security agencies, civil society organisations, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists to support the drive.
The administration further noted that many of the makeshift settlements sit on plots allocated more than 20 years ago, stalling government and private development. Demolitions in Area 1 and Durumi, officials confirmed, will begin soon.
