The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned that military service is not a licence to harbour criminals, as it vowed to sustain its ongoing clearance of shanties and parks serving as hideouts for criminal elements in Abuja.
The FCTA made this known while reacting to reports about the demolition of a section of Jazz and Blues Entertainment at Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3.
In a statement on Sunday, the FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, explained that the demolition was part of a city-wide cleanup targeting shanties and parks used as criminal hideouts.
The statement explained that the operation was a targeted public safety measure backed by credible intelligence, not an attempt to persecute anyone.
“Security agencies, such as the NDLEA and DSS, have pinpointed several spots in the Federal Capital City that function as hideouts and safe havens for criminals.”
Notable among them is the Banana Green Belt, which stretches from the Central Mosque towards Zone 3 and Zone 1 of Wuse District, as well as the Area 10 corridor. In these places, innocent people are attacked by criminals who then flee into the thick vegetation to avoid arrest,” the statement said.
The statement further disclosed that investigations, including surveillance and undercover operations, revealed that part of the Jazz and Blues Entertainment at Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3, housed shanties linked to organised criminal networks operating in the FCT.
“In line with Abuja’s Development Control Regulations and public safety protocols, the FCTA, working with other security agencies, began a city-wide cleanup of all identified criminal hideouts on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. A section of the Jazz and Blues Entertainment at Panorama Recreational Park, Wuse Zone 3, linked to criminal activities, was among the locations cleared,” the statement said.
“Contrary to claims of sudden action, the FCTA Department of Development Control had issued several contravention notices to the park’s management before the exercise.
“A first formal notice was sent in February 2024, followed by three more between October 2024 and June 2025, and a final eviction order on July 25, 2025. These notices were completely ignored.”
The FCTA clarified that the main facilities in the park including the football field, viewing platforms, gymnasium, and other amenities were not affected by the operation and are still in use after the removal of criminal elements.
“While the FCTA acknowledges and respects the military service of Air Commodore Balogun, it reiterates that national service is not a license for any individual to harbour criminal elements or endanger the general public,” the statement added.
The FCTA said the cleanup will continue in the coming weeks and expand to other districts to make Abuja safer for residents to live, work, and relax.
