Some residents of Kuje area council have expressed concerns over ongoing criminal activities by suspected hoodlums at the popular Kuje forest market, located along Gwagwalada road in the area.
A resident, Shuaibu Suleiman, who spoke to Blueprint Tuesday said activities of suspected hoodlums inside the market have continued to pose serious threat to lives of residents of the area.
He said some hoodlums had taken advantage of the forest to attack innocent passers-by especially at night and dispossessed their victims of valuables.
He said, “Just two days ago, my brother who left home around 8:23pm to recharge his card by the road side was attacked with machete by the hoodlums and dispossessed of his money and hand set at the forest market.”
He said it was after he waited in vain to see him that he rushed back to see him in the pool of his blood.
Another resident, Mr. Vincent Abraham said the suspected hoodlums have always engaged in various kinds of criminal activities inside the forest, such as smoking of Indian hemp, raping and snatching of motorcycles as well as snatching of hand bags from passers-by at night.
“In fact just last week, some policemen on patrol raided the forest and even some people smoking Indian hemp because my house is close to the market,” he said.
He said there was the need for the authorities of the council to urgently take measures by liaising with security agents to tackle the activities of the hoodlums inside the forest market, which have continued to pose serious threat to residents of the area.
He added that, “You can also recall that just recently there was a security threat by Boko-Haram members who were to have established a camp in different places in Abuja, which I want to suggest that government should do something about the forest market as nobody knows the ideal of the terrorists informants that stay are inside the market area.”
A civil servant, Samuel Bulus, who also reside close to the forest market, said there was need for government to urgently swing into action by clearing the market, saying the forest has become a hidden place for criminals.
Commenting, the chairman of Kuje area council, Abdullahi Suleiman Sabo, said the council was also worried about the activities of some hoodlums at the forest market.
He said the council after receiving security report from both the police and State Security Services (DSS) about criminal activities happening inside the forest market especially at night, had written to the FCT administration to seek for approval to put another government structure at the forest market.
The Kuje Divisonal Police Officer (DPO), CSP Harrison Oruruo, could not be reached for comment as his phone was not connecting. A senior police officer at the station, who preferred anonymity, however, disclosed that the police in the area have always raided the market, especially at night.
