Demolition: Miscreants attack, hold FCTA task force team hostage Police officer, others injured
There was tension on Thursday as a group of miscreants attacked members of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Task Force team at Gaduwa District.
City & Crime reports that some of the officials, including a policeman, were injured while some others were taken hostage.
Daily Trust reports that the officials taken hostage were later released following a rapid response from the rescue team of the FCT Police Command led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Bernard Igwe.
The Senior Special Assistant on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement to the FCT Minister, Ikharo Attah, who was on another ministerial duty at the flood-devastated areas of Lokogoma District, confirmed the incident, saying, ‘’Some officials of Development Control attached to the task force who went to Gaduwa to mark illegal houses springing up indiscriminately in the community for demolition were heavily resisted and attacked by some persons wielding weapons.”
He commended some youths who helped in calming the situation and facilitated the release of the hostages.
He said, “I was sent somewhere by the minister, and before I arrived the scene, the police officer who was badly injured on the head and some others had been rushed to the hospital.
“Those who were held hostage were rescued by a team led by DC Bernard Igwe. The area where the indigenous people stay was not marked. The police will determine what happens to those who were arrested.”
One of the officials that was held hostage, Kalu Amadi, said the experience was horrific and would take time for him to overcome the trauma.
Amadi, who was allegedly striped half naked, said the attackers refused to reason that he was on official duty and almost killed him.
An indigenous youth who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there were few houses owned by natives in the areas marked “illegal” expansion.