The Federal Capital Territory Administration, on Monday, demolished Spotlight Garden Events and Recreation, a private garden in Abuja’s Wuye District.
The administration stated that its action was in accordance with its policy for park operators not to operate past 07:00pm when revoking the allocation of the garden.
According to the FCTA, the owner and allottee of the destroyed garden had been repeatedly warned about violating the park’s operating guidelines, the Punch gathered.
Umar Shuaibu, the coordinator of the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, claimed in a statement on Monday that thugs killed a security guard last week after breaking into the garden.
Due to the peculiar security situation in the country’s capital city, he said the FCTA was enforcing the 7:00 pm park and garden closing time, adding that both the allottee and the operator of the garden would be prosecuted for the violation of the regulations leading to the attack and killing of the security officer.
He said, “Just last week at a park, called Spotlight Garden Events and Recreation in Wuye District, the operator flagrantly violated our closing time regulation by operating beyond 7pm. This attracted the activities of armed hoodlums who gunned down a gallant security officer in cold blood. This could have been avoided if they had complied with our regulations.
“The park allottee and the operator will, henceforth, be prosecuted for the violation of the regulations and for creating the enabling environment that led to the death of an innocent citizen. Already, the park operator has been arrested.
“Hence, this allocation stands revoked and the site will be demolished and recovered by the Administration immediately. This should serve as a warning to all park allottees and operators who deem it fit to arrogantly violate the laid down rules and regulations.”
