There was pandemonium in Abuja on Wednesday when hoodlums and commercial transporters attacked the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) officials on a cleanup exercise at Zuba, Gwagwalada Area Council.
The personnel, who were in the area to clear out illegal parks and shanties in Zuba, were viciously attacked leaving seven seriously injured.
The task team consisting of officials from the Department of Development Control, Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) were assigned to clear Zuba of all illegal parks and shanties.
According to an eyewitness, the problem began when the DTRS officials started impounding vehicles immediately after demolishing the park at Zuba interchange.
The development got the commercial motorists angry as they started throwing stones to disrupt the ongoing exercise.
The Nation gathered that seven of the officials were reportedly injured while others scampered for safety and rushed into their vehicles to flee.
Security agents attached to the team used tear gas canisters and shot into the air to disperse the miscreants, who attacked and injured innocent motorists.
However, other areas planned for removal were not touched as the personnel ran for their lives.
A member of the task force from the DTRS who spoke under the condition of anonymity said: “The security personnel we went with was not enough. Zuba is a dangerous place when it comes to cleaning up.
“We only demolished the park but couldn’t proceed to other locations. Even from the office we expected it but the “Ogas” just pushed us into danger. We hope to return back with a stronger force another day”.
However, a leader of the transporters, Jubrin Kyari, insisted that the park was duly allocated to them by FCTA Transport Secretariat and they have documents.
He said: “We have documents to this effect, but without any revocation order the minister came and demolished it”.
He accused the FCTA of not giving them an alternative palace before removing them from the roads.
Those injured include one Jeremiah Timothy, a Police Inspector and Suleiman Musa, an AEPB staff among many others.
They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Nation
