The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun profiling areas worst hit by kidnappers in the territory.
The Director, Development Control, FCTA, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, who led the exercise in Abuja on Tuesday, said that the exercise was to ascertain the causes of the kidnappings and suggest solutions.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise began with Sagwari Layout Estate, Dutse, in Bwari Area Council, where kidnappers abducted some residents recently.
Galadima explained that the officials, with the support of security personnel, would identify buildings without approval and other illegal activities in the area.
Represented by the Deputy Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, Mr Hassan Ogbole, Galadima blamed the poor planning of the area on the community leaders and some of his personnel.
He pointed out that the area was surrounded by structures that were built without the approval of the FCTA development control department.
The director added that after profiling the area, the department would recommend necessary measures that would curb the activities of criminals.
โThe exercise is a fact-finding mission and part of the departmentโs periodic monitoring of developments.
โWe observed the recent growing chain of illegal developments within the ecologically sensitive zone of the lower Usuma Dam, which is supposed to be a secured side.
โActivities by illegal developers are a threat to the FCT Administration and the dam. We have taken steps to carry out enforcement on several occasions, but they have remained unabated.
โThe government will not condone this. In physical planning, there are places that we reserve; these are reserved areas.
โSo, we will put up our report and recommendations to the appropriate quarters and see what could be done,โ he said.
The Secretary, Command and Control Centre, Department of Security Services, FCTA, Dr Peter Olumuji, said that illegal activities by the locals promoted the lapses.
โWhat we have seen here shows the level of insensitivity of the village chief.
โMost of the people we interacted with said they got the lands from the village chief with no concern about the safety of lives and property within the area.
โThis mountain site that we visited is where some people were kidnapped. We have accessed the mountain site, and based on the position of development control, it is against the planning template.
โPeople must also stop buying land from village chiefs. They donโt have the power in FCT to sell land. โ
They are only interested in monetary gain and not the safety of the people,โ he said. (NAN) (Vanguard)