..’We’ll make FCT hot for criminals’
Following reports of kidnapping for ransom and killing in the territory, within the past weeks, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday, vowed to make Abuja hot and unbearable for kidnappers, bandits and terrorists.
Leading the charge to tackle the challenges of insecurity in Bwari Area Council, the Minister who held a town hall meeting with residents and traditional rulers in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT, said that the President, Bola Tinubu, had instructed him to provide all that the security agencies would need, adding that it would no longer be business as usual, and enough was enough.
It could be recalled that gunmen abducted and killed some residents, including 13-year-old teenager, Folashade Ariyo, who was kidnapped alongside 10 residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutse-Alhaji Area of Abuja, and Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, who was kidnapped alongside 22 others in Bwari.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Minister had summoned an emergency security meeting with heads of security agencies in the FCT, top officials of the FCT Administration and Chairmen of the six area councils, where he stated that the administration was aware of the security situation in the territory.
Security is one of the key priorities of Mr. President’s administration. Yesterday, Mr President summoned a high-level security meeting, which includes all the Service Chiefs, the Minister of Defence, and my humble self, because of recent attacks, particularly in Bwari. And so, currently, it is one of the key priorities, that Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda will want to face squarely.
“It is no longer going to be business as usual. Everything has to be done to protect lives and property. Without protection of lives and property, then we have no business in government. My coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious. All those criminals, bandits, enough is enough. We will do everything in our power to make sure that we will not allow this to happen again. That is why just this morning, Mr. President has given me approval, to provide everything required to the security agencies. And just like what Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-Bwari said, it is not by merely talking, we are serious”
“Security agencies will not have any reason to say that they are not equipped; we will provide everything required. I know how big Bwari is, I know that you have boundaries with three states: Niger State, Kaduna State and Nasarawa State. I know because these bandits were chased away from the Northeast, so they are making their way here, we will make it hot for them”, he said.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, disclosed that the Council comprised 16 districts, and over 90 villages and hamlets, adding that the size and difficult terrain of the Council made the security challenges more difficult.
He therefore requested the provision of needed logistics to security agencies in the area, adding that they would require at least a vehicle and 7 motorcycles in each district for effective patrol and surveillance, while also appealing for training and retraining of hunters and villagers, engaged by the Council for their security.
Also lending his voice, the Sarkin Bwari, Awwal-Musa Ijakoro, called on Federal government to help establish mini military barracks in the area to take care of challenges at the boundary of KADUNA, NASSARAWA, Niger states with the area council.
The traditional ruler also want the federal government, FCT minister, Nyesom Wike and Police authority to establish an Area Command for Bwari to take care of the influx of people to the area council which he said had added to the insecurity in the area.
He suggested to the administration to consider the closeness of the area to the Federal Capital City.
On his part, the Chairman Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya who gave statistics of the kidnapping in the area council recently to be six, noted that his administration has employed fifty vigilantes and fifty hunters into the service of joint task force to improve the security in the area.
He however appealed for the FCT Administration’s logistical support support to shore up the security in Bwari Area Council.
While lamenting of the capacity to tackle the space of kidnapping, the chairman noted that the council has only two vehicles for the task force and ten motorcycles to fight the insurgency.
Gabaya also called for the support of the stakeholders to overcome the challenges.
The meeting was attended by former Senator representing the FCT, Philip Aduda, the Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-bwari, and the Chairman of the Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya.
