Following a heightened security alert in the nation’s capital, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory Administration FCTA has reclaimed parts of the Nigeria Law School’s land taken over by criminals in Bwari town.
The development came as one of the biggest malls in the territory, the Jabi Lake Mall shut down operations in what its management said is to protect staff and customers in the wake of a recent security advisory issued by some embassies.
Also, most primary schools in the territory have announced a mid-term break.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Attah Ikharo, who supervised the reclamation of the law school land, said pulling down the shanties was also to tighten security and restore sanity on the route.
He said the exercise is one of the measures adopted by the Administration to curb insecurity across the territory and would not be limited to the area alone.
The Minister’s aide explained that strategic stakeholders in the nation’s capital have asked the sanitation team not to leave any structure that is constituting threats to the security of lives and property on the Bwari road stretch.
He stated that key security heads in the territory had insisted that the Bwari area must be made safe and free from all evil acts.
According to him, the demolition exercise would be a comprehensive one, starting from Bwari Law school, near Kuchiku-Bwari down to Bwari’s main market.
On his part, the Secretary of FCTA Command and Control Centre, Peter Olumuji said the operation is a means of sustaining the security measures already put in place by the Police and the FCT Administration.
He explained that prior to the removal of the shanties, the areas were used as criminals’ hideout.
Meanwhile, the management of the Jabi Lake Mall has temporarily suspended its operations.
A short message from the commercial enterprise reads; “Jabi Lake Mall will be closed today, Thursday. This decision has been taken in the overall interest of the safety of all staff and customers of the mall”.
