…Says Council has notified security agencies on fake task collectors claiming to work for FCT DOAS on Haulage, Transport assignments
Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC has denied any association with so called ‘AMAC Boys’, allegedly harassing motorists and other citizens across the nation’s Capital, maintaining that all its staff are well trained and retraining for revenue collection.
Recall that the chairman, on July 2024 AMAC, Zakka Maikalangu, warned against the harassment of government officials and residents of the council by illegal revenue collectors who had always maintained that were assigned by the FCT Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage to aid it generate revenue on transport and haulage with the territory.
Maikalangu, during a press conference in Abuja recently, stated that satellite areas like Dei Dei, Nyanya, part of city center, University of Abuja bridge are designated for agents of the council to check for revenue.
He advised residents to report anyone harassing them for revenue to the council or the nearest police station for prosecution, saying the council has a mobile court to prosecute offenders.
He said: “This press briefing is very important at this time as it is an opportunity to reawaken the consciousness of residents of the council and also to correct the anomalies making round within our revenue generating sector.
“Some of them have chased and collected number plates of vehicles from the Presidency, National Assembly, Embassies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). The reports of these acts had caused the council a lot of embarrassment and have given us a bad name.
“As a responsible government, it is our duty to redeem our image that is battered with bad names attach to it.
“We will henceforth situate our staff in a designated and organised centres, in places such as University of Abuja area, Nyanya and Deidei axis to professionally coordinate the activities and collection of mobile advert for the council.
“ All we are saying, let them be professional and don’t jump on vehicles, stop dragging car keys with drivers, if you are caught you will be treated as a criminal. I repeat you will be treated as a criminal.
“Our team of security agencies will commence a routine checking, we will arrest anyone claiming to be AMAC staff on the road. We will no longer tolerate it. If you are arrested you will be prosecuted immediately by our Mobile court.
“I want to inform you that the council reserved the right to revoke the License (s) of revenue collector(s) who choose to go contrary to this advice. We will regard such partner (s) as traitor (s) and will be treated as such.
“The general public is advised to treat the message with utmost importance and hereby enjoined to report such anomalies to the Council Revenue Division.
“However, FCTA will say they don’t know them. Therefore, it’s a problem that needs to be tackled with the cooperation of residents. If you see them or if they want to harass you, drive them to the nearest police station or AMAC. We have a mobile court and security agents that will handle the matter.
“Again, I want to urge residents to pay their revenues to the council so that we can continue providing democratic dividends to people. We need revenues to provide basic amenities for people. Pay into AMAC account, don’t pay cash to anyone as we are determined to make AMAC better for all of us,” noted Maikalangu.
The rebuttal came on the heels of a report published on Vanguard Newspaper on Friday 7 February, 2025, where the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Olatunji Disu disclosed this at the end of the FCT Security Council meeting in Abuja, urging residents and the motoring public to report to the police anyone who harasses them on the road in the guise of revenue collection.
The claim was that the miscreants are popularly called “AMAC Boys”, and are spread across the six Area Councils but their activities are more pronounced in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council and in the city centre which falls under the Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC, hence the tag, ‘AMAC Boys’.
