Why Wike’s 24-Hour Terminal Remains Closed Two Months After Inauguration — Aide

Two months after President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the Mabushi Bus Terminal as part of efforts to reform Abuja’s transport system and curb the menace of “one-chance” operators, the facility remains closed to the public. The delay has left commuters exposed to roadside pick-ups, particularly in Mabushi, a known hotspot for notorious criminal syndicates.

On June 17, 2025, President Tinubu declared a new era for public transportation in the capital when he unveiled the Mabushi terminal as the first of three modern bus hubs designed to restore order, improve urban mobility, and curb criminality.

During the inauguration, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike promised that the bus terminal would operate round the clock.

According to him, the bus terminal would not be run by government agencies but concessioned to private operators.

“The terminal will operate 24 hours a day, providing commuters with a safe and comfortable space to wait for their buses. There will be amenities such as food courts, restrooms, and entertainment facilities,” Wike said, adding that the move was part of his administration’s strategy to reduce crime and bring dignity to public transport in Abuja.

But since the inauguration, the terminal has remained shut.

Speaking to THE WHISTLER, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister, Lere Olayinka, attributed the delay to due process.

“It won’t take long to start (operating). When concessioning to private operators, due diligence must be done. Agreements have to be signed, and those processes are already underway.

“It is normal government procedure. Government projects must pass through proper stages; if they don’t, it amounts to misappropriation or maladministration, and people will rightly call for an investigation.

“The process is being followed, and it won’t be long. If it were up to the Minister alone, it would start today, but as it stands, due process must be observed. The terminal will kick off very soon.”

Meanwhil, to curb insecurity in the nation’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) launched ‘Operation Sweep Abuja,’ a joint security taskforce, on July 7, 2025.

Dr. Peter Olumuji, an official of the FCTA Security Department, told THE WHISTLER that the team inaugurated by Wike is under the chairmanship of the FCT Commissioner of Police and brings together multiple security agencies.

“The task force is under the chairmanship of the Commissioner of Police, FCT, where we have all the relevant security agencies—the DSS, the Civil Defence, the NDLEA, the Immigration Service, and the Correctional Service.

“We also have other departments from the FCTA in the team. We have Development Control, the Social Development Secretariat, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, and the Directorate of Road Traffic Services. This operation is focused on getting rid, among others, of general nuisances within the city centre and crime that are becoming threat to the FCT.”

Olumuji listed issues such as aggressive begging at traffic lights, the activities of scavengers known as babanbola, and the surge of one-chance operators.

“On the issue of one chance, part of the Task Force mandate is to get rid of this menace. And how are we doing that? We are identifying vehicles that are not painted in the Abuja colour for critical match. We are focussing on vehicles that are using covered plate numbers.

“We are focussing on vehicles that don’t have plate numbers at all. And we’re also focussing on vehicles with tinted glass. Some people have argued that there’s an extension from the IGP. Yes, we know that. But notwithstanding, there are some vehicles, when you see them using tinted glass, you know they have no reason—especially commercial vehicles. Why should a commercial vehicle tint?

“Somebody will tell you he’s running Uber or e-hailing services, and the person is tinting his or her glass. These are pointers that vehicles can be used for criminal elements. So part of the focus of the joint task force has been clamping down on these vehicles, and the operation is to cover the entire FCT.”

According to him, vehicles that fall under suspicious categories have been impounded, profiled, and handed over to the police when necessary.

Olumuji noted that one-chance criminals thrive mostly in “hot zones” outside designated motor parks.

“When you talk about hot zones, the hot zones you can talk about are zones outside the approved category ranks and parks. In Area 1, for example, you have the Gwagwalada Park and another approved park nearby. Those are safe places.

“But roadside boarding is where these people operate. Since they are not registered with unions, nobody can control them. Unfortunately, some commuters, instead of using approved parks, go to the roadside.

“Most of the people falling victim of one chance, if you hear from them, boarded vehicles from roadside, not from approved parks. So those roadside pick-up points are the hot zones that residents must avoid.”

Asked whether women are the main targets, he explained, “The target is not only on women, even though perpetrators feel women might not be able to struggle like a man will. So we want to advise not only the women, but every resident of the FCT —do as much as possible not to board vehicles by the roadside, go to approved parks.

“If you see a tinted vehicle, be suspicious. If you see a vehicle with a plate number in front but not at the rear, or no plate number at all, be wary. And when your instinct tells you ‘no’, take it as no, because these people will always come with the mindset that, ‘oh, that is the last available vehicle for you to board.’”

He further stressed the importance of situational awareness.

“As much as your personal security is very important, situational awareness is also necessary. Some people, as they want to board the vehicle, are on their phones, not conscious of the vehicle. They just see a car, flag it down, and enter, still on their phones. Before you board, and even when inside, be conscious of your environment,” he said.

THE WHISTLER recalls that in June 2024, Prisca Chikodi, a staff of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, was killed after boarding a vehicle at Area 1 bus stop. Her body was later found in Utako, with no visible signs of gunshot or stabbing wounds.

Her death was one out of many notorious ‘one-chance’ incidents, which highlight the calls for the timely activation of facilities like the Mabushi Bus Terminal to make Abuja safe from such criminals.