The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) will inaugurate a special task force to apprehend touts and extortionists within the council area.
Mr Kingsley Madaki, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to the AMAC Chairman, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja on Monday.
The move follows a tragic incident at the Mabushi axis involving a couple, their son, and touts known as “Nero.”
According to reports, the victim, Mr Emeka Ehekweme, and his wife were driving in a Toyota Highlander when they were chased by three touts. The touts forcefully entered the vehicle and struggled with the driver for control of the steering wheel. The car lost control, struck a parked Mazda, and somersaulted into a bridge pillar, killing the couple, their child, and two of the touts.
The incident triggered public outrage, with residents demanding stricter enforcement to protect citizens from violent attacks.
In reaction, Madaki condemned the actions of the touts and conveyed condolences to the victims’ family. He clarified that the hoodlums were neither staff nor agents of AMAC.
He stressed that the council was taking urgent steps to eliminate such activities.
*“The executive chairman, Mr Christopher Maikalangu, has decided to inaugurate a strong task force to arrest anybody impersonating AMAC and extorting money from motorists. These people are not AMAC staff.
“The operation will be done in Area 1 Roundabout, Area 2, Berger underbridge, Jabi, and Banex.
“We are going to fish them out. We will take them to a mobile court and prosecute them immediately; they will find themselves in Kuje correctional centre,”* Madaki said.
He also raised concerns about unauthorised groups impersonating officials of agencies such as the FCTA Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).
Madaki clarified that AMAC does not issue motor park licences, noting that it is the FCT Transport Secretariat that has the authority to supervise and regulate them.
(NAN)