The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has asked commercial transport operators in illegal parks and roadside locations across Abuja to either move to designated bus terminals or be shut down.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Chinedum Elechi, mandate secretary of the FCTA transportation secretariat, said all unauthorised loading points would be shut down and non-compliant vehicles impounded without further notice.

Elechi said the administration had directed transport operators to move to fully operationalise ultra-modern bus terminals, beginning with the facility in Mabushi.

He said the move to clear the streets of unauthorised motor parks stems from a direct mandate by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to bring order, decency, and security to the nation’s capital.

“The Federal Capital city is the capital of Nigeria, just like London is to the UK or Paris to France,” Elechi said.

“Our capital cannot be different. At the root of decency in a modern city is a functional public transportation system. The days of everybody doing what they like in the FCT are over.”

The mandate secretary said FCTA has invested billions of naira to construct the ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo, and the Central Business District (CBD).

Elechi said centralising transit operations within official terminals is vital to curbing criminality.

He said that the operation of the bus terminals would address illegal transit operations, “one chance” robberies, and drug and arms trafficking.

“About two weeks ago, we carried out a trial enforcement and impounded vehicles after issuing quit notices,” the mandate secretary said.

“Believe it or not, we discovered highly illegal products inside some of those ad-hoc seizures. What we saw was frightening.

“As such, proper profiling of operators at official terminals will dramatically reduce citywide insecurity.”

He noted that the FCTA has partnered with private operators, including Planet Projects, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework to ensure efficient management of the terminals.

Elechi dispelled rumors that the government intends to deprive transporters of their livelihoods.

“We are not taking food from anybody’s table. We are asking you to leave unsafe, unhealthy roadside locations for modern bus terminals built with government resources. Nobody is going to lose anything,” he said.

He added that the FCTA would seal unauthorised private premises used as makeshift parks and confiscate non-compliant vehicles.

“If you rent private premises or take over any small space and turn it into an illegal motor park, we will seal off the premises, impound your vehicles, and enforce the law to the letter.”