FCT Minister, Rein In AMAC Louts, Please

Early this morning, I had an appointment in Gwarimpa that I needed to make within one hour. Being a bit of a greenhorn in Abuja, it's always been one heck of a job, transiting from one point to the other. In most cases, I've had to rely on the Global Organization of Oriented Group Language of Earth, aka, Google. 

This morning was a little testy for Google as it chose to be of no particular use. It simply refused to kick until I fill my take off point. I was already out of my comfort zone and didn't know the name of my location. I had to stop just so that I'd ask for direction. 

I was told the location was Apo Bridge, an ID I had to fill in and was good to go. But a young man with a badly mended broken arm peeped from the nearly wound up door glass and asked that I helped him. He was heading to Area 1, my transit route. More because of his rather pitiable condition, I obliged him. 

Obviously, I had my thinking cap off duty. Up till now, I still can't recall how he easily talked me into extending my goodwill for him to pick up a pack of slippers, onward the same direction I was headed. I agreed and followed his instruction rather docilely as we meandered under the Area 1 Bridge, connecting a transit Motor Park which turned out to be a rendezvous.

As quickly as I turned off my car ignition, ready to wait for the few seconds he asked for, he sprung into action, almost catching me unaware as he turned from a meek-looking, help-seeking man into a crazed demon. 

Pronto, he went for my car key and attempted to removed it from the ignition. I snapped back into reality and pinned his hand against the dashboard. I wouldn't let go as each of us struggled to have the edge. But then, the key handle snapped and detached, leaving the metal end stuck in the ignition. He made to go for that but drew blank as I became more aggressive and took the initiative this time. Quickly, he beat a hasty retreat and exited the car, the bunch with him while I dug out the real key before following him. 

He didn't have to go too far. I saw him handing over the bunch to another man he identified as "Secretary" and disappeared even before I got to him. There was no point going after him as the man with the key was right there with me. Shocked and fuming however, I asked what the problem was even when it dawned on me that I'd been taken for a ride.

According to the "Secretary", the guy said I picked him up on a "Drop" for Three (N300) Hundred Naira. I was like, what the heck!

I had to explain how it all started and how we got there, not forgetting to add that I actually took pity on him because of his badly mended and disfigured arm. Along with that, I show my still activated Google map. A little confused, the "Secretary" wasn't sure of the next move. At least, he realized his gooned misfired.

At that point, a man walked in on us and asked to know what the matter was. I explained as I did earlier. He was miffed. He went straight to another man who was watching the drama all the while, pretending not to be aware or even connected. A quick exchange and he came down, ordered that my key be returned without any delay. I got it back as ordered, just like that. 

By then however, I was shaking, truly shaken. He had to prevail on me to cool down a little before getting behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, the incident appeared to have woken up other persons idly milling around, as they began to chorus their ordeal. One pointed to a car with all four tyres deflated on the order of "Secretary". They've all been asked to cough out humongous amount of money the same way bandits place ransom on their abducted victims.

Back to my colleagues after my appointment, it's been tales upon tales of how AMAC Louts have turned unsuspecting vehicle owners into unwilling bank accounts. I'm told that their sadistic activity and operations are backed by the Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, authorities. It needs not be repeated here that much of what they do is evil. What must be said and emphasized too, is that AMAC needs to rein in the monsters before lives are lost. It would take just one enraged car owner to go berserk and do incalculable damage, including loss of life. The job to prevent that from happening falls squarely on the shoulders of AMAC and FCT Minister ultimately. Unless as the public believes, the FCT is as complicit as AMAC is.