From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has condemned the rising number of Nigerians settling illegally and erecting shanties in Abuja, calling the situation both unreasonable and unacceptable.
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During his monthly media briefing on Monday, Wike highlighted how criminals exploit these unofficial settlements to avoid detection while engaging in illicit activities.
“Criminals don’t stay where you will locate them. Criminals don’t stay in houses where you will identify them. Criminals stay in those areas where you cannot locate them. We cannot say because of poverty, we should allow you to kill people, rob people or to kidnap people. That is not allowed. It defaces the city,” he explained.
Emphasising that security remains a non-negotiable priority for his administration, Mr. Wike warned against justifying lawlessness on the grounds of poverty.
“We have told people who claim that the land belongs to them, why are you not developing them? Why are you making it possible for these criminals to come and settle here and cause problems for the city? And then you say the government is not doing anything? We are going to make sure that all illegal occupants will be thrown out. It is unfortunate, and there is nothing we can do about it, because security is key. Any government that cannot provide security has no business in government,” he declared.
Addressing poverty as a widespread challenge rather than a unique excuse for crime, Wike remarked, “We have to be careful over this poverty thing or no poverty thing. There is never a time when anybody can say they have solved the problem of poverty, all over the world. Let nobody use poverty as an excuse.”
Recently, the FCT administration demolished over 1,000 illegal structures around Karsana, near Bunkoro District in Gwarinpa, as part of a citywide sanitation operation targeting illegal squatters and individuals of “questionable character.”
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