FCTA Seizes 40 Vehicles, 52 Motorcycles in Crackdown on ‘One Chance’ Robberies

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has stepped up its clampdown on illegal transport operators in Abuja, impounding 40 vehicles, 52 motorcycles, and four tricycles linked to traffic violations and crimes, including the notorious “one chance” robberies.

Mandate Secretary of the FCT Transport Secretariat, Barr. Chinedu Elechi, said the enforcement was carried out by a joint task force involving the police, civil defence, and other security agencies.

He explained that commercial motorcycles seized would be crushed, while vehicles would face mobile court proceedings before decisions are made.

“We don’t just impound; the owners will face a mobile court. The bikes will be crushed, but everything happens after the court order,” Elechi said during an inspection at the Wuye command of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS).

The Secretary stressed that the clampdown would continue as long as violators persist.

“If people keep using motorcycles and unpainted vehicles illegally, we too cannot be tired of enforcement. It is an FCT task, and we will keep doing it,” he noted.

Elechi tied the operation to broader security measures in the capital, warning that unpainted commercial vehicles are frequently used for “one chance” robberies.

“There has to be sanity. One of the major security breaches comes from unpainted vehicles. It hardly happens with painted taxis,” he added.

He further disclosed plans to profile all commercial drivers in Abuja and assign numbers to taxis to sanitize the transport sector.

“If you want to operate as a commercial driver in Abuja, your vehicle must be painted and registered with a side number. Using personal cars for transport is illegal, and that is how one chance thrives,” he warned.

On the newly commissioned bus terminals, Elechi said operations would begin once procurement processes for private operators under a public-private partnership arrangement are completed.

Acting Director of DRTS, Deborah Osho, confirmed the seizures, stating that unpainted commercial taxis topped the list of traffic offenders. She added that tricycles and motorcycles were frequently linked to bag snatching and other criminal activities.

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