SECURITY BREACHES: FCT DOAS uncovers 1,300 illegal masts, towers in Abuja

L-R Acting Managing Director, NPA Mohammed Bello Koko Presents the Authority’s plague to the President, Nigerian Statistical Association Dr. Ebuh Godday during the visit at the corporate Headquarters, Marina.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage (DOAS) says it has uncovered 1,300 illegal telecommunications Mass and Towers in Abuja.

Many Nigerians see as indubitable evidence of security breaches.

The Director of DOAS, Dr. Babagana Adam, who made the disclosure at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja said they were erected without regard to the Urban and Town planning laws of the city.

“When we came recently, we discovered that we have over 1,300 illegal Telecommunications masts and towers within the Federal Capital Territory.

“In fact, recently, without mentioning the company, we have to bring down 126 illegal towers without documentation for them.

The standing center is the Acting Managing Director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Mohammed Bello Koko. To his left is the President Nigerian Statistical Association, Dr. Ebuh Godday and other executives of the association during the occasion at the corporate Headquarters, NPA Marina Lagos.

“So we have to regularize them and where they don’t meet with the regulations, we have to decommission to the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC),” he said.

Adam said that the department is targeting to make no fewer than N650 million in 2022.

He revealed that as part of efforts to boost its revenue profile and deepen understanding with critical stakeholders, the department recently visited 17 Chiefdoms of the FCT to further educate them on the significance of DOAS.

According to him “I have started calling on all the outdoor advertisement and signage companies within Nigeria, for us to form an umbrella body, and stop all illegal collections by fake companies.

“We are calling for federal intervention that is the Police IG’s office to see how we can correct this illegal collection.”