By Henry Umoru

ABUJA—Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Senator Bala Mohammed, disclosed yesterday that he had impounded 2,900 commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, in the last 10 months in Abuja.

According to him, during the same period, 807 tricycles, Keke NAPEP, and 280 unpainted commercial vehicles, Kabu-Kabu, were impounded by the Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management since inception about 10 months ago.

Disclosing this after reviewing the activities of the Special Task Team he inaugurated on Monday March 11, 2014, the minister said the Special Task Team was set to ensure the efficient and sustainable cleaning and management of Abuja through the enforcement of the provisions of the enabling laws applicable in the FCT under the chairmanship of the FCT Police Commissioner.

On street hawkers, beggars and commercial sex workers, the minister disclosed that the Task Team had so far arrested 492 commercial sex workers, 1,108 street hawkers and 48 under-aged hawkers.

He added that the Special Task Team had been able to arrest 128 miscreants/urchins, 192 beggars/destitute as well as 17 mentally ill persons in and around the FCT, during the same period.

He advised members of the public, who had formed the habit of not using the pedestrian overhead bridges for crossing the highways, to desist forthwith.

He also warned those destroying barricades erected by government to prevent people from crossing express-ways to desist from doing so, stressing that security personnel had been directed to enforce it.