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Fred Itua, Abuja
A combined security team on Tuesday raided hotspots in the Abuja metropolis following an intelligence tip-off. The raid, involving over 50 security agents, drawn from the Police, Civil Defence, Immigration, Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, among others, arrested a number criminal and drug trafficking suspects.
The operation was coordinated by FCT Taskforce on City Sanitation, led by its chairman, Attah Ikharo.
The raid lasted for over three hours.
The hotspot raided is located at Gudu, directly behind the national headquarters of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and less than a kilometre from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
The location is also a stone’s throw from Legislators’ Quarters in Apo and five kilometres from the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa.
During the raid, items like marijuana, cough syrup, syringes, hard drugs and stolen items were recovered.
For three hours, security agents laboured to dismantle makeshift houses erected by the criminals. They were eventually set ablaze after a tough round-up exercise.
Addressing newsmen after the raid, task force chairman Ikharo said the hilly spot was a hideout for criminals who launch soft attacks on estates within the area. He said motorists plying the route are also attacked by the criminals who retreat to their hideouts after each raid.
Ikharo said the spot will be raided often until the criminal elements and drug peddlers are flushed out. He warned those involved in making the city uninhabitable for residents to relocate or face the full wrath of the law.
‘Last week, we raided some spots in this area. We destroyed several makeshift houses these criminals use to carry out attacks. We returned today to carry out more raids.
‘As you can see, we recovered different hard drugs. We also arrested a number of them. Others upon seeing us ran away and abandoned everything. We had to go deep into the bush and destroyed these places they use for their criminal activities.
‘We will not relent until we sack these criminals from Abuja. We have also given quit notice to some settlements in this same area. The areas they’re occupying isn’t for trading. We have spoken to them and we hope they will listen and relocate soon,’ Ikharo said.
