The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in its sustained fight against crime in the capital of Nigeria, has raised an alarm over the overpopulated cashew forests in different locations housing criminals within the capital city.
According to FCTA officials, the overpopulated cashew forests provide a safe haven for criminals, touts and bandits who terrorize the residents of the city.
Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, during the Stakeholders dialogue meeting over the weekend, told Kuje community leaders that the administration was not against people owning economic trees, but frown at anything that encourages insecurity.
Attah said that the discovery startled security agencies’ component of the task force and that they have complained of the risk it portends to residents of Kuje.
“We saw cashew forest thicker than Amazon forest. Where security operatives raised the alarm that during operation nobody can see through the forest, even in the afternoon”, Attah noted.
He warned that during the one-week-long exercise at Kuje, every illegality that constitutes a threat to national security would be addressed in accordance with the Urban and Regional Planning laws of FCTA.
While he urged all stakeholders, including community, political, religious and traditional leaders in Kuje to continue to support the government’s policies, he also allayed the growing fears that FCTA initiated a clean-up exercise to take over indigenous people’s land.
“The FCTA is not coming to take any land from anyone in Kuje, the one FCTA will reclaim is the rail corridor which belongs to everyone, we don’t have any other land we are claiming. The land that belongs to the people should be left for the council to develop it, for the people.
“Let all of us join hands together and ensure the development of Kuje. We are not coming to hurt you, we just want you to do the needful. And the beauty is that everyone has a place”.
The Gomo of Kuje, HRH Haruna Jibrin has pledged to support every legitimate operation that will provide security and restore order in the town.
The traditional ruler who was represented at the meeting by the Palace Secretary, Bokos Usman noted that he will also remain committed to the implementation of all government policies that promote peaceful coexistence.