By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has vowed to sustain its city-wide clearance of shanties and suspected criminal hideouts, stressing that military service offers no immunity to those found aiding or accommodating criminal elements.
The warning came after the demolition of a section of the Jazz and Blues Entertainment venue at Panorama Recreational Park in Wuse Zone 3, identified through intelligence as part of an organized criminal network.
The operation formed part of the ongoing cleanup to enhance public safety and dismantle hideouts used by criminals to evade law enforcement.
FCT Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, said the clearance was based on credible security reports and not targeted at any individual or business.
Security agencies, including the NDLEA and DSS, had flagged locations such as the Banana Green Belt from the National Mosque to Wuse Zones 1 and 3, and the Area 10 corridor, as hotspots for criminal activity.
Olayinka disclosed that multiple contravention notices were served to the park’s management, beginning in February 2024 and followed by further warnings in October 2024, March 2025, and June 2025, before a final eviction order was issued on July 25, 2025. All were ignored.
Key facilities at the park, including the football field, gymnasium, and viewing platforms, were left untouched and remain open to the public.
While acknowledging the military background of Air Commodore Balogun, reportedly linked to the premises, the FCTA maintained that no one is above the law.
The administration said the clearance exercise will continue in other parts of Abuja in the coming weeks as part of its commitment to keeping the city safe and secure.
