The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMAC) has dislodged over 1,000 ‘miscreants’ on the Inner Northern Parkway corridor, off Abidjan Street in Wuse Zone III.
The coordinator of the Council, Felix Obuah, led the clean-up exercise on Wednesday, saying Abuja has to be rid of criminals.
Obuah said the road corridor was illegally occupied by unknown persons who pose a security threat and deface the city’s beauty.
Their shanties, built in the 1990s and known as Unguwan Yan Lambu, had been demolished several times but were rebuilt each time.
On sustaining the exercise, Obuah explained that the Council would make a memo to the FCT minister on the steps to take so that the dislodged people do not return.
"As a matter of fact, we should appreciate what the minister of FCT is doing. We aim to beautify the city and make Abuja one of the cities that you can be proud of in the whole world,” he said.
"This place is a road corridor, and look at the level of people that are occupying this place. All shanties.
“Most of these criminals have taken over this place as their abode. So, by our wisdom, we have decided to come here and clean up the place and reclaim it, and give Abuja the desired outlook.”
He explained that the minister would not delay moving into action. He also disclosed plans to relocate the dislodged persons.
"As part of our efforts to make sure that these miscreants don't come back here to deface the city, we intend to make sure that we relocate them to a place that they can stay permanently rather than coming to deface the city.”
Mohammed Musa, one of the occupants who self-identified as the area’s chairman, said he has been there for 27 years.
He added that insecurity in his hometown and those of the others drove them to Abuja.
