The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stated that the Federal Government will not tolerate any sort of bandit attack in Abuja.
Wike addressed the crowd on Wednesday during a town hall gathering with citizens from the FCT’s Bwari Area Council.
He called the meeting in response to increased allegations of kidnapping for ransom and homicide in the FCT.
Earlier on Tuesday, Wike met with the heads of security agencies in the FCT, top officials from the FCT government, and chairmen of the six area councils, during which he declared that the government was aware of the security situation in the territory.
Speaking at the town hall gathering on Wednesday, the Wike stated that President Bola Tinubu had directed him to supply everything the security agencies would require and that it would no longer be business as usual.
Recall that gunmen kidnapped and killed some residents, including a 13-year-old teenager, Folashade Ariyo, who was kidnapped along with ten other residents of the Sagwari Estate Layout in Abuja’s Dutse-Alhaji Area, and Najeebah Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, who was kidnapped along with 22 others in Bwari.
Speaking on Wednesday, Wike said, “Security is one of the key priorities of Mr. President’s administration.
“Yesterday, Mr. President summoned a high-level security meeting, which included all the service chiefs, the Minister of Defense, 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.”
Wike added, “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, we have no business in government. My reason for coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious.
“All those criminals and bandits—enough is enough. We will do everything in our power to make sure that we do not allow this to happen again.
“That is why, just this morning, Mr. President gave 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, and 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.
Earlier, John Gabaya, Chairman of Bwari Area Council, revealed that the Council was made up of 16 districts as well as over 90 villages and hamlets and that the Council’s vastness and tough terrain made security concerns even more difficult.
He thus requested that security agencies in the area be provided with the necessary logistics, adding that each district would require at least one vehicle and seven motorcycles for effective patrol and surveillance, as well as training and retraining of hunters and villagers hired by the Council for security.
