By Philip Yatai

The Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC), Federal Capital Territory Administration, has handed over  to the police, a staff of Parks and Recreation Department for allegedly cutting down trees illegally within the capital city.

The Coordinator of the council, Mr Felix Obuah, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Obuah said that the staff, simply identified as Abubakar, was caught in the act.

He said that the incident happened on Sunday when he was going round the city.

“We were going round to see exactly what was happening in the city when we caught Abubakar who incidentally happens to be one of our staff at Parks and Recreation Department.

“He was caught cutting down trees that beautify the city and are important for  mitigating the impact of climate change, among other valuable functions,” he said.

He said that the staff had cut down many of the fully-grown trees before he was caught.

The coordinator said that a staff of the department illegally cutting down  trees  planted by the department  years ago was abhorrable.

“We have handed him over to the police for prosecution.

“This will serve as a deterrent to all the people who would want to sabotage the efforts of the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, and President Bola Tinubu in giving Nigerians a befitting capital city.

“We will maintain the beauty of the city,” he said. (NAN)

Edited by Ijeoma Popoola