Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
Residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have hailed the plans by government authorities to review the allocations of uncompleted buildings in the city in order to check activities of hoodlums.
The residents complain that uncompleted buildings have turned out to be hideouts for hoodlums in the territory, saying the decision was not new.
According to them, the Senator Bala Mohammed administration had given a similar order but failed to implement it. They wondered how effective such an order could be as the immediate past minister, Mallam Mohammed Bello, was on his way out when he issued the order.
However, a resident stated that she boarded a taxi from Nyanya to Area One. On approaching AYA junction, the vehicle veered towards Gwarinpa. When the occupants wanted to know why the driver took that way, he told them that he wanted to avoid Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO). But midway into the journey, the man in the front brought out a gun and the driver pulled to a corner.
“We were searched and all our ATM cards and other items were collected. We were still there until they went to one of the ATM galleries and withdrew our money before they released us. Those without ATM cards were beaten mercilessly”, she said.
Another victim who spoke under the condition of anonymity said that she entered a vehicle to Suleija from AYA junction about 7pm. “ But midway into the journey, the vehicle stopped and one of the occupants whom we thought was a passenger brought out a gun and ordered everyone to lie beside the road.
“While we obeyed, one of the passengers tried to run away but he was shot dead a few kilometers to the security post. The hoodlums collected N100,000 from me and other items” he said. Yet another victim who was scared to mention her name for security reasons noted with tears that their vehicle arrived late from the Eastern part of the country and dropped her at Area One. While she was still making call to locate the brother who was waiting for her, two young boys between 19 and 20 years surrounded her, beat her and collected all she came to Abuja with.