Amid cases of kidnappings and terrorist attacks, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) have stated that security in the FCT has improved during Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.
Adamu Gwary, the director of the SSS, shared this update during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
Gwary highlighted that the Tinubu administration’s efforts have led to a notable reduction in security breaches within the FCT.
He attributed the significant improvements in security to the appointment of Nyesom Wike as the FCT Minister in August 2023, praising the minister’s impactful measures and strategies.
He said, “We receive not only a situational report from security agencies but also from members of the public. In the past, it used to be a daily affair where you would hear, there are these issues, there are those issues, here and there, within the city, the environs, and the suburbs of the FCT. Now, sometimes a whole week will pass without any report.
“We have an interface with traditional rulers who give us intelligence reports, which we process and forward to responsible security agencies, but this has really died down. Also, if you recall, the issue of theft of manhood was at its peak at the commencement of the Tinubu-led administration, but that has been completely addressed.
“This is not to say that we are there, but the improvement is visible in terms of the reduced number of reported cases of criminal activities.”
He attributed the successes to the proactive approach of the FCT Minister, who has engaged intensively with the community and provided logistics and equipment support to security agencies.
He noted that Mr. Wike organized town hall meetings across the six area councils of the FCT, where he and security agencies interacted with community members to encourage their active participation in addressing insecurity.
“The minister had equally provided vehicles to traditional rulers across the FCT to enable them to move around their domain and mobilise their subjects to support ongoing security efforts. This is with a view to taking security to the doorsteps of the residents and reassuring them of the FCT Administration’s readiness to support security agencies to do their work. These have really paid off,” he said.
Mr. Gwary added that the minister established security task forces to combat heinous crimes such as kidnapping and the notorious “one-chance” criminal activities.
Regarding logistics support to security agencies, the director mentioned that under the Tinubu-led administration, the FCT minister procured and distributed motorcycles to security agencies, including vigilance groups, to enhance security in rural communities.
He also noted that the FCT Administration had acquired patrol vehicles equipped with modern communication gadgets and combat protective gear.
“Plans have also been concluded to procure surveillance drones and other equipment to enhance the surveillance and operation of security agencies in the city. These are all geared towards ensuring zero tolerance for heinous crime within the city centre and the suburb, which is plagued with the issue of kidnapping and the rest,” he said.
The director described security as everybody’s business and called on residents to cooperate with security agencies in sharing timely and accurate information.
“See something, say something and we will do something,” he said.
Edward Orim, the principal consultant at Edgard Consulting, a private security firm, praised the significant progress made by Mr. Wike under President Tinubu’s administration in addressing insecurity in the FCT.
Orim, who also serves as the chairman of ASIS International, Chapter 273, Abuja, an international security organization, particularly commended the government for curbing the trend of kidnappings in the territory.
“From my own assessment, I think the current administration has done very well,” he stated.
However, he advised the FCT Administration to further strengthen community policing, encouraging everyone to assist the police with critical information and, where necessary, logistical support.
“Community policing is critical to addressing insecurity; know your neighbour and give information out to the police to help them do their job. There should be more awareness among the residents to be aware of their surroundings and security threats and work with security agencies to address them,” he said.
(NAN)
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