THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has intensified security operations across Abuja, ordering immediate raids on uncompleted buildings and suspected criminal hideouts in response to growing security concerns within the city.
The command has also reiterated its earlier ban on scavenging activities known as ‘Baban bola’ in the nation’s capital.
The Commissioner of Police, Ajao Saka Adewale, issued the directive to all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in a statement released on Tuesday, October 7, by the Command’s spokesperson, Josephine Adeh.
According to the statement, the measure forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of lives and property in the territory.
“The Commissioner of Police has directed all DPOs to immediately intensify patrols and carry out thorough raids on all uncompleted buildings and suspected criminal hideouts within their jurisdictions,” the statement read.
Adewale said the directive takes immediate effect and is aimed at preventing criminals from using abandoned or ongoing construction sites as hideouts. Property developers were also advised to ensure that artisans and labourers sleeping at construction sites are “properly documented and profiled before the end of October 2025.”
He further ordered that DPOs should conduct regular patrols of such areas and arrest any unidentified persons found on-site after 6:00 p.m. The police commissioner also restated that scavenging activities, commonly known as ‘Baban Bola’, remain banned across the FCT.
“Residents are advised to report any scavengers or suspicious persons sighted around their neighbourhoods immediately to the police,” the statement added.
Adewale reminded residents that security is a collective responsibility and urged estate associations and community leaders to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious movements and ensuring that all security guards and domestic staff are profiled by the police.
The latest directive comes amid sustained efforts by authorities to address rising insecurity in the nation’s capital. Reports by The ICIR have documented frequent attacks by “one-chance” syndicates, kidnappers, and scavenger-linked criminal gangs across several districts of Abuja.
In July 2025, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, launched Operation Sweep Abuja, a citywide initiative targeting beggars, scavengers, and illegal street traders. The minister said the operation was necessary to rid the city of elements “posing security and environmental risks” and restore order to the capital.
Despite a long-standing ban on scavenging activities, The ICIR reported in multiple investigations between 2021 and 2024 that scavengers continued to operate freely in several neighbourhoods, including Kubwa, Lugbe, Kado-Kuchi, and Jahi.
In May 2024, police confirmed the arrest of several scavengers following violent attacks in Byazhin, Kubwa, which led to the death of three persons, including two women and a boy. Residents told The ICIR that some scavengers often return at night to attack those who resist them.
Earlier investigations also revealed that scavengers had been linked to the theft of manhole covers, vandalisation of public utilities, and home burglaries in the city’s suburbs. Officials of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) said the ban on scavenging remains in force but admitted that enforcement has been weak due to limited manpower and funding.
A reporter with the ICIR
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