FCTA Seizes 40 Vehicles in Enforcement Raid Against Illegal Motor Parks

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has scaled up its regulatory clampdown on unauthorized transit hubs, impounding at least 40 commercial vehicles for operating outside the newly launched Mabushi Bus and Taxi Terminal in Abuja.

The enforcement operation, which targeted commercial drivers picking up passengers along the Utako axis, is part of a broader government campaign to restore safety, order, and structured transportation within the federal capital.

Briefing journalists on Friday after the operation, the Secretary of the Command and Control Centre under the FCTA Security Services Department, Dr. Peter Olumuji, disclosed that the vehicles were intercepted between Wednesday and Friday.

He explained that the operators directly contravened an order from the FCT Transport Secretariat, which mandated all commercial drivers using roadside parks around Banex and Utako to transfer their operations to the Mabushi terminal. The directive, issued on June 21, had given transport unions until June 24 to relocate before full enforcement commenced.

Olumuji warned that the owners of the impounded vehicles would face legal prosecution and appropriate sanctions under existing FCT traffic laws. He further revealed that the police arrested several individuals during the raid for attempting to disrupt the enforcement team's duties.

"The ultimate goal of this operation is to guarantee that public transit vehicles load exclusively from designated zones for the protection of commuters," Olumuji stated. "The primary security benefit of the new terminal is that passengers are assured of boarding officially documented vehicles handled by verified drivers. We will sustain this operation until total compliance is recorded across the city."

Also commenting on the development, an official from the FCT Transport Secretariat, Usman Abdulmuminu, noted that the administration carried out rigorous public enlightenment campaigns, including media notices and radio jingles, before deploying the enforcement teams.

He noted that while a substantial number of transport operators had voluntarily complied, the ongoing exercises serve as a practical reminder to remaining drivers and commuters that the Mabushi facility is fully open.

Providing technical context, the Transport Planning Director at Planet Projects (the firm managing the hub), Demola Olawepo, described the terminal as a standard, flow-through facility capable of managing 250 vehicles simultaneously. He urged transport unions to fully embrace the modern park, describing it as a secure alternative to the chaotic roadside loading culture.

The facility's General Manager of Operations, Kolawale Babatunde, added that since operations kicked off on July 1, the terminal has successfully cleared over 130 commercial vehicles and safely handled more than 800 passengers using security protocols similar to modern airports.