The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has initiated a comprehensive demolition campaign targeting shanties and parks within the FCT identified as criminal hideouts. This operation, driven by credible intelligence gathered by security agencies, aims to enhance public safety and dismantle organized crime networks operating within the city. The FCTA emphasizes that the exercise is not targeted at any specific individual or group but rather a necessary measure to address the escalating security concerns within the territory. The operation, characterized as a public safety intervention, is grounded in substantial intelligence and aims to reclaim public spaces from criminal elements.
Areas targeted in the initial phase of the demolition exercise include the Banana Green Belt, spanning from the Central Mosque area towards Wuse Zones 3 and 1, and the Area 10 corridor. These locations, according to security agencies including the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Department of State Services (DSS), have become havens for criminal activity, where perpetrators often exploit the dense vegetation for cover after committing crimes, making apprehension difficult. The FCTA’s intervention seeks to disrupt this pattern and improve the security landscape of these areas.
The demolition of shanties at Jazz and Blues Entertainment, situated within the Panorama Recreational Park in Wuse Zone 3, exemplifies the targeted nature of the operation. Intelligence reports, corroborated by surveillance and undercover investigations, revealed that a section of the park, specifically the area containing shanties and batchers, was being utilized for sustained criminal activity linked to organized networks. This discovery prompted the FCTA to include the area in the demolition exercise, aiming to dismantle the operational base of these criminal elements.
Furthermore, the FCTA revealed that the management of the Jazz and Blues Entertainment park had been served multiple contravention notices between February 2024 and July 2025. These notices, which went unheeded, highlight the park management’s disregard for existing regulations and their complicity in allowing criminal activities to flourish within the park premises. The demolition, therefore, serves as a consequence of their non-compliance and a decisive step to address the security breach. This incident underscores the FCTA’s commitment to enforcing regulations and ensuring that public spaces are not misused for illicit purposes.
Addressing concerns about the demolition of the Jazz and Blues Entertainment facility, the FCTA clarified that while the shanties and problematic areas were targeted, the main recreational facilities, including the football field, gymnasium, and viewing platforms, remain untouched. This clarification highlights the FCTA’s intention to prioritize public safety while preserving legitimate recreational spaces. The demolition is not intended to impede recreational activities but rather to eliminate the criminal elements that have infiltrated and exploited the park’s infrastructure.
The FCTA has affirmed that the city-wide cleanup operation, which commenced on August 6, 2024, will extend to other districts in the coming weeks. This ongoing effort reflects the administration’s commitment to building a safer and more secure environment for all FCT residents. The demolition of shanties and criminal hideouts is part of a broader strategy to reclaim public spaces, deter criminal activity, and create a more secure environment for residents to live, work, and engage in recreational activities. The FCTA maintains that national service, while commendable, does not grant immunity from upholding the law or provide a license to harbor criminal elements. This principle underscores the administration’s resolve to address security challenges irrespective of individuals’ backgrounds or affiliations.
