Aftermath of last week’s Weekly Trust cover story…Cops in hot chase with Abuja racers

Information reaching Weekly Trust which has been confirmed over and over again by usually reliable sources indicates once more that children of the very rich and powerful in Abuja, make up the majority of those who race cars on the many   roads of the city. There is also a percentage of same who simply go […]

Information reaching Weekly Trust which has been confirmed over and over again by usually reliable sources indicates once more that children of the very rich and powerful in Abuja, make up the majority of those who race cars on the many   roads of the city. There is also a percentage of same who simply go to watch the event. A son of an eminent  Judge has been involved in car racing. Children of the high and mighty in the country have made it a habit to go and watch the race from time to time. A son of a former Governor once drove the latest model of a Toyota Avensis and hit a pillar near the National Mosque while racing .Another, a son of the Head of a very significant agency in the country has partaken of the race as well, Weekly Trust findings have shown. With the aid of the Road Traffic Services department, this paper is still trying to trace the owners of cars which were   used in the evening race for the past three Sundays now. A dark blue car belonging to an official of the Federal Government was also used for the race on Sunday, 17 July, along the Tafawa Balewa Way, Abuja. The fairly new car has a very obvious FG number plate. Last Sunday, Weekly Trust returned to the Tafawa Balewa Way,Abuja, to further  investigate the car racing activity which normally begins  there at about 5.30 pm and  actually  lasts through sunset. The previous day the paper had carried a cover story on the same activity which was the product of three Sundays of careful surveillance of the racing youths and the cheering crowds.  The thinking that Sunday was that if the racers came out, the paper would have a story. If they failed to turn up, we would still have a story. Whatever happened or failed to happen within the area was a story. There was also the strong feeling that some racers would turn up, and a stronger feeling too that the police or some security personnel would be present. Both feelings were confirmed all of a sudden, and in a fairly dramatic way. By the time this reporter got to the spot which was about 5.00pm along with the photographer, there were police cars all around as well as members of the FRSC who came along with a massive towing vehicle which was positioned at a strategic spot. Armed policemen milled all over the place. There were staff of the Road Traffic Services department. Everyone connected with law and the proper use of the roads were present. It was an impressive concourse of men, materials and machines. Mr. Odukoya Sunday, Area Commander Metro, Abuja was coordinating the policemen present, and it was a joint operation with the FRSC, and the department of Road Traffic Services. Areas monitored included the road by the National Mosque, Tafawa Balewa Way adjacent to Ceddi Plaza, as well as the roads close to the Grand Square. At the latter youths who had gathered to watch the racers, fled upon sighting the approaching police convoy. All these areas have been famous for car racing at one point or the other. Altogether, it was a large operation which had the advantage of many skilled hands and smart, swift moving vehicles at the ready. Suddenly,  it was time to begin a race. One of the famous racers had turned up in a white car,  and the police decided to give chase. They politely asked the reporter and photographer to go along with them and sped off in pursuit. The car pursued   had been present at the regular evening spin on the previous two Sundays. The race went up to the City Gate, but the racer escaped down a by road, it seems .Along the way the policemen in the car kept coordinating with their colleagues stationed at a location by the gate. The latter were asked to create an artificial go-slow so as to trap the fleeing driver. Later, the artificial go-slow was called off, when it was realised the racer had fled by another route. Then we returned to the Tafawa Balewa Way after the 15 minute chase. Very soon we learnt of two persons who had driven down from Bauchi to witness the weekly car race and had come to the vicinity of the plaza. This showed that the culture is catching on fast and had spread beyond the borders of the capital city. The police presence was enough indication to the duo to return to Bauchi. They left. Later, some of the racers drove by with clear hopes that the evening spin would hold as usual. Farther on one could see a line of cars which had been carefully parked, and a crowd had gathered at the spot. These were most likely some of the usual crowd that came to cheer the racers each Sunday. They kept a distance, obviously because of the very visible law enforcement officers. While milling with the crowd last Sunday, Weekly Trust learnt that the police will continue to monitor the Abuja streets until the force puts an end to the street racing activity. There were also hints that most of the racers must be on drugs, because it was felt that no normal person will just take out an exotic  car and begin to spin it recklessly, generating smoke  ,destroying the tyres in the process and being cheered on by an irrational crowd .Attention was drawn to the dangers drag racing poses to other road users as well as pedestrians. It was felt that if some youths wish to race with cars within the FCT ,then they could apply for land from the relevant office for this purpose, and they would be given land. One of the security personnel present added when he saw the passing racers ‘Not that we can’t chase them.We don’t want to cause accidents. If  we do this for another Sunday the whole  racing activity will fizzle out. We are waiting for them to display their act of madness, then we will   catch them’. The police watched the streets for some two and a half hours which was the period when Weekly Trust  was  present, and they promised to return next Sunday, being  tomorrow. The next day being Monday 25 July, Weekly Trust went to the Road Traffic Services office at Mabushi to meet the Director there. The ambition was to track down the owners of some cars which were used for drag racing in Abuja. The Director promised to help, but said that his office would need to check its archives at Gwagwalada for this purpose. The search for the owners of the numerous cars at Gwagwalada, had not been concluded as at presstime. In an interview with this paper the Director, RTS RTD  Major Adamu Sule Argungu,  comments on the youths involved in street racing in Abuja .He says ‘At a time when people are struggling to survive, people have come with cars which cost as much as 5 million naira. This is as a result of delinquency and I believe these youths are on drugs. This is not only a common traffic offence, it is now a crime. They actually take over part of the expressway, and the Minister of the FCT felt that this should be stopped forthwith.’ He says that car racing in Abuja has been migrating from one spot to another in the city over the years.’ First, it took place by the National Mosque. For some time now it has been occurring along Tafawa Balewa Way. The next time anyone is apprehended he will be charged to court.’ He has some advice for parents. According to him ‘Parents and guardians are adviced to watch their children and wards, for we will not spare anyone who is caught.’ He recalls that these youths involved in car racing can be very violent, and added that when a few of them were apprehended some time ago they  tried  to create a scene.Finally, he warns; ‘This activity by the youths can incite the general public to an uprising with their dazzling show of  posh cars  in the midst of great poverty. Overseas,  car racing is a sport, an organized sport, and not an entertainment as we have here in Abuja’. Given the huge security presence, last weekend must have been a rather dull one for some rich kids in Abuja, who love to race posh cars on public roads.