CRIMINALS TAKE OVER ABANDONED LAGOS FEDERAL SECRETARIAT

The old and now abandoned Federal Secretariat in Ikoyi, Lagos, which was once a status symbol of the country’s civil servants has been converted to a hideout by criminals, where they keep arms and ammunition and carry out illicit drug trade.

Investigation revealed a booming criminal activities in the massive edifice. Some worried residents, mechanics and other artisans, who also carry out the activities in and around the two buildings consisting of twin towers, said the policemen usually seen at the gate during the day leave the building at 7pm thereby leaving the Federal Secretariat originally designed to cater for the administrative needs of the nation, when Lagos was still the federal capital for criminal activities to thrive fully at night.

A resident said “the government made a big mistake to leave this building here like this. If you come here in the night you will see a lot of things going on here. You see vehicles driving in and out from 11pm till 1 am and the same vehicles retuning at 4am. These things go on daily and nobody is monitoring them. The Community Development Association (CDA) has been told that these people store arms and ammunition in the building, but they are afraid to confront the situation. We are not safe living close to the place”.

A commercial bus driver who was fixing his tyre close to the abandoned edifice said that ”they do all sort of things in there . Their acts range from raping of women to the sale of drugs inside the old Federal Secretariat. The security agencies cannot say they are not aware of what is going on in that jungle.”

When our correspondent visited the area feigning to be in dire need of the services offered by the “inhabitants,” a man who emerged from the first wing of the building asked: “Gentleman what can I do for you? Is it snuff you want or correct treatment for somebody that offended you? If it is the sniffing stuff I can direct you.”

When our correspondent told him that he had been offended by somebody, he replied,” no problem wait for Sharp Hammer, he will be here from 8.30 pm to see you,” he said.

Before the complex turned to criminal haven, it was one of the federal projects of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, which he started in 1975.
The property had been left in the limbo since 2006 when Dr.OlusegunMimiko, then minister of works and housing under former President OlusegunObasanjo sold it to a private a company, Resort International Limited (RIL).

It was gathered the building would be restructured to a massive residential quarters consisting of four, three and two bedroom flats, among others.

Though nothing tangible has been done to show the seriousness of the investors, the Dr. Wale Babalakin-led RIL, which reportedly won the bid for the secretariat with an investment of N7.2billion is said to be considering its conversion to residential apartments.

Source: Leadership