The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) task force has demolished suspected criminal hideouts in the Apo Cadastral Zone District, following intelligence reports that identified the area as a major security threat contributing to increasing crime in Apo and surrounding communities.
Director of the FCTA Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, said the location had long been recognised as one of the city’s most notorious dark spots.
He explained that this operation was part of the ongoing city-wide sanitation exercise aimed at ridding Abuja of criminal elements.
“This place has been identified as one of the notorious dark spots. I recall efforts were made in the past, but this time around, we came in to do a total clearance,” Galadima said.
“There are credible and verifiable security and intelligence reports about these locations, including instances where some people were even killed around this place.”
He stressed that the demolition was necessary to dismantle the criminal base permanently. “For the fact that this place was identified as a dark spot, it’s enough for this exercise to continue. Unlike before, when we just pushed shanties, this time we will remove everything and even fence the place,” he said.
Galadima hinted at a new strategy to prevent criminals from regrouping at reclaimed sites, without giving full details. “We have applied many options, but this time, we are going to devise a new strategy. By the time we take action, you will see it,” he added.
The Director of FCTA Security Department, Adamu Gwary, represented by Dr Peter Olumuji, confirmed that the location had been a persistent concern for security agencies. He said residents had repeatedly reported criminal operations in the area, ranging from drug trafficking in violent crimes.
“We have issues like illicit drugs peddling and sales here, as well as armed robbery and housebreaking,” Olumuji said. He recalled a recent incident in which over 50 armed robbers launched an attack on residents, which was foiled by the swift intervention of the FCT Police Command and other security agencies.
According to him, the demolition aligned with the FCTA’s wider security strategy to dismantle criminal enclaves and restore law and order in high-risk areas across the capital city.
Meanwhile, officers of the Apo Division of the FCT Police Command who monitored the demolition commended the move, describing it as a decisive step toward improving safety in the area.
Although not authorised to speak officially, some officers affirmed that clearing the site would bring significant relief to residents who had endured years of criminal activities in the vicinity.
