By Oluwatosin Maliki
A total of 69 commercial vehicles in Abuja were impounded by the Security Taskforce of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Monday for the violation of several laws ranging from wrongful parking to rickety vehicles and failure to use number plates.
According to the FCTA, it’s action was in continuation of its efforts to sweep the city of illegal operators of commercial vehicles and to further improve the security of lives and properties of residents of Abuja.
Abdulateef Bello, the Director of the FCTA Directorate of Road Traffic Services, while speaking to newsmen during the exercise, emphasized that the administration will not relent in its efforts to clean out criminals from the city, noting that owners of the 69 impounded vehicles will also be prosecuted by the FCT Mobile Court.
In addition, he disclosed that three of the commercial vehicle operators, are suspected to be members of the “one-chance” syndicate, were also apprehended during the operation would subsequently be handed over to the Police for prosecution.
Similarly, the Director of the FCT Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, explained that indiscipline is a major contributor to the increased rate of the “one-chance” operations in the city, adding that the administration will continue to make use of the 40 taxi ranks provided by the FCTA in the city centre.
Also, he reassured citizens of the administration’s commitment towards rooting out criminals operating ‘one-chance’ in the state.
Peter Olumuji, the Secretary, of FCTA Command and Control Unit, he displayed objects recovered from the one-chance operators and urged road users to always board the taxi ranks provided in the state.