Abuja, the nation’s capital, will continue to be the safest and most tranquil city in the nation, according to the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
In response to recent social media claims about the security situation in the Territory, Ambassador Abu Salihu Mohammed, Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Security Matters, provided the assurance.
Despite efforts by purveyors of false information to portray the Territory as hazardous, he claimed that the high level of security of lives and property accounts for the influx of people into the Territory from all regions of the country.
“Just recently, the Hon. Minister of FCT Malam Muhammad Musa Bello approved the sum of one hundred and two million, three hundred and eight-two thousand, five hundred Naira (N102, 382, 500) for the commencement of the second phase of the G-7 operation. The operation, which will last for thirty days and spread over two months will cost over two hundred and seven thousand Naira (N207, 000,000).
“The second phase of the Operation will see the commencement of security actions and procedures by members of the G7 which will involve taking the fight to the bandits and terrorists in their dens. Already, some of the neighbouring countries have given their nods to the operation”.
Although the FCT is not immune to crimes (banditry, terrorism, armed robbery, and other petty thefts) as a result of its location, adjacent to States with high terrorist/banditry activities, the situation is made worse by the spread of fake news, according to him in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by Abubakar Sani, Senior Special Assistant (Media).
Panic/false alarms have flooded the print and electronic media, as well as social media platforms, further escalating the tension already present among a sizeable section of the territory’s people.
Mohammed continued by mentioning a number of actions taken by the FCT Administration to reduce security in Abuja, including the following:
Conducting routine coordinated actions between the FCT Security Committee’s military personnel and the actionable Security Agencies. The collaborative operations have achieved great success since there is greater agency synergy than there was previously.
“Ongoing Clearance Operations of suspected Bandit locations in the hilly, mountainous and forest locations on the fringes of the FCT. There have also been upscale in military checkpoints at strategic locations and regular/sustained joint patrols.
“Setting up of the G-7 initiative where members of the group jointly and simultaneously conduct operations along the perimeters of the FCT with the contiguous States (Nasarawa, Kaduna, Niger and Kogi).
The G-7 involves security collaborations and partnerships with States that are contiguous to the FCT. The logistics for the operation is taken care of by the FCT Administration. This action has led to the reduction in the influx of bandits/terrorists into the FCT.
“Mass Elimination of Shanties and constant Raiding/Clearing of Hideouts that harbour criminals and hoodlums in the Territory. Most of the shanties are safe havens for miscreants, armed robbers, kidnappers and drug dealers.
There are also security threats and environmental hazards such as open defection together with other breaches of sanitation laws.
“Therefore, with the current security situation, the continuous presence of shanties in the FCT are no longer going to be tolerated at all. Same applied to abandoned buildings and bushy undeveloped plots, particularly in built up areas.
A Ministerial Taskforce charged with that responsibility conducts its activities almost on daily basis. This has brought sanity in many parts of the Territory.
“Curtailing Menace of Okada Riders in the City. Ban of Okada in the Municipality introduced in 2006 is still in force. Enforcement of the ban is still on and thousands of motor cycles seized are crushed quarterly.
You are aware that most of the riders are nuisance, causing accidents here and there, and it is the popular means of transportation for bandits and armed robbers. Miscreants also use it to snatch bags and other valuables from commuters.
“Removal of vogue scavengers otherwise known as ‘Baban Bola’ from the Streets of the FCT. Due to public outcry on the activities of scavengers on rising menace of vandalism and theft of private and public property, including critical national infrastructure, Baba Bola have been outlawed in the FCT.
“It was as a result of these efforts that the Honourable Minister of FCT directed all relevant SDAs to work jointly and close down identified scrap markets (Panteka) where the transmission lines and other stolen infrastructure were sold.
Also, consideration is being given to stemming the demand side of the scavenging activities by targeting the end users. It is strongly believed that if the end users are identified and punished, it will curtail the rampant cases of vandalizing critical national assets”, the statement further stated.
