FCTA crushes 601 motorcycles in Abuja over traffic, security violations

By Ukpono Ukpong

Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through its Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), yesterday destroyed 601 seized motorcycles in Abuja, due to various traffic violations.

During the operation, the Mandate Secretary for Transport, Elechi Chinedum, explained to journalists that the action was in line with FCT regulations.

He emphasized that the current law, enacted on January 1, 2023, prohibits the use of motorcycles in certain areas, and the FCTA is committed to enforcing this regulation.

Chinedum further noted that while the initial restrictions aimed to maintain order and aesthetics in the capital, the focus has shifted to address growing security and criminal concerns linked to motorcycle use.

He stressed that enforcement efforts would continue, warning that any motorcycle found in prohibited zones would be impounded and destroyed.

“I need to re-emphasize what the director has just said about the reason why we are here which is to crush impounded motorcycles. As we speak, we are acting under the regulation of the FCT. The most recent regulation, which is the law on this subject matter, is that of 1st of January 2023.

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“It was signed into into law by the immediate past administration of Mohammed Bello as FCT minister. So it’s a law it’s if you if you use your motorbike in particular areas it’s against the law and if which is what we are here for today. To answer your question there’s nothing we can do apart of apart from enforcing the law.

“All laws are made and then people take it upon themselves to violate the law. Initially when this started it was basically for purposes of maybe aesthetics because this is FCT so there has to be some kind of dissent movement but right now it is more concerning because it is used more if I worry more it’s about the security aspect, the criminality aspect. So we have our people on the street and part of the work this directorate does is to enforce.

“So what we do is we’ll continue to put more men on the street if you have motorcycle in your house we’re not coming after you and if you put it out where there is a within the area where you’re not supposed to be we’re impounded and that’s what we can do the only thing we can do is to impound we cannot you know um no matter how strict the law is it hardly serves as a deterrent people will not hear people will always take a chance so we’re saying to the people don’t take a chance on it,

“It’s an investment don’t bring it into the prohibited area if you bring it in we will get hold of it if we get hold of it we will crush it so what we’re doing is to enforce the law is there so for as many of defaulters that there are I will also put in effort to continue to enforce the law, the law is there and if they are not tired of breaking the law definitely will not be tired of enforcing it all right thank you.” He said

Dr. Abdulateef Bello, the head of DRST said the essence of exercise to curtail traffick abuses in the territory.

“This exercise has been our usual routine to support the ban, the existing ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in the federal capital city. You will recall that the ban was initiated in 2006. The idea then was that we should be able to control and curtail their traffic abuses in the federal capital city. But as it is today, it’s becoming more of a security threat. Commercial motorcycles have been used to facilitate crime and criminality in the federal capital city.

“So we are again using this medium to send messages to those who are still you know investing in this line of business to think twice because we will continue to push you know motorcycles that are already forfeited you know by the court you know to deter other people from flying the city. So this is again the beginning of the year. This is the first exercise in the year we have about 601 motorcycles that have been impounded that will be crushed today. So this is the reason why we are here.”