The Federal Capital Territory Police Command disclosed that it arrested on Monday four suspects and impounded 21 cars over illegal car racing and other similar offences in Abuja.
FCT residents had raised the alarm over the threat to lives, property and infrastructure posed by the deadly car racing.
The car racing, which had become a menace in the nation’s capital, are usually conducted around the Central Area, Area 10 and Areas One and Two in Garki District.
The participants, who are alleged to be children of top government officials and wealthy residents, conduct the dangerous exercise mostly in the evening and late hours of the night, moving through calm streets at break-neck speed with the tendency to knock down passersby in a hit and run scenario.
For instance, the son of a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory once allegedly knocked down a resident, who later died.
He was alleged to be the chief sponsor of the racing competition which had gained prominence in the territory especially during public holidays, in spite of the absence of car racing provisions in the FCT master plan.
THISDAY learnt that the children of the rich and affluent in Abuja are notorious for organising such deadly car racing, especially during holidays, where they drive recklessly in a bid to outrun each other and show off the prowess of their luxurious cars on highways around the city centre.
The outcry prompted the police to enforce the prohibition of car and speed races in the nation’s capital.
Owing to this, the command, in a statement by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Josephine Adeh, said the suspects were arrested and the cars impounded under the enforcement of Regulation 228 of the Road Traffic Act on the prohibition of illegal car races and other similar offences.
It said the enforcement team, led by the FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Babaji Sunday, arrested four suspects and impounded the cars on Sunday.
The command said the suspects were arrested around Muhammadu Buhari way by Nicon Insurance in the Central Area where they converged for business as usual.
The police command had earlier ordered full enforcement of the prohibition of all kinds of car and speed races in the territory.
Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja
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