By Philip Yatai
The Department of Security Service, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says a holistic security operation is ongoing to dislodged criminals operating within the FCT, Abuja.
The department’s Secretary, Command and Control Centre, Dr Peter Olumuji, disclosed this in Abuja on Wednesday, while reacting to the recent security concerns in some parts of FCT.
Olumuji told journalists that the capital city was relatively secure throughout the festive season following improved security operations.
This, according to him, is evident with how residents thronged recreational parks and other centres to have fun during the Christmas and New Year celebration.
He, however, acknowledged some attacks, particularly around Bwari Area Council’s axis, where a community was attacked but were repelled by the security in collaboration with vigilantes and hunters.
“Yes, there were pockets of attacks in one or two of the villages within the council, but the security agencies being complimented by the vigilantes and the hunters were able to repeal the attacks.
“On Jan. 3, the Police Commissioner, FCT Command, along with his tactical team paid a confidence building visit to the Bwari Area Councils and most communities experiencing kidnapping.
“The FCTA has also asked the police commissioner to deploy more manpower, vehicular assets, and tactical team to the area, which he has done. So Bwari is fully covered.
“Before now, people have been complaining about Kuje, Kwali, Jikwoi, among others, but there was no reported incident in these areas within the festive period. This should tell you that security in FCT is improving on a daily basis,” he said.
He assured residents that the security agencies have up their game to suffocate all criminal elements operating within the city, particularly along border communities.
Olumuji stressed that current security challenges affecting the city were basically in the neighbouring communities of Niger, Kaduna, Kogi and Nasarawa states.
He said that criminal elements come into FCT from the neighbouring states, commit crime and go back, adding that security agencies have deployed personnel to fortify the border communities.
He called on the security chiefs of the G-7 security initiative, comprising FCT and its neighbouring states of Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau, to live up to their responsibilities.
He explained that the initiative was to strengthen collaboration among the security chiefs in FCT and the six contiguous states, to tackle cross-border security challenges.
While acknowledging the gains recorded so far, the secretary said that the FCT still bears the larger burden of the G7 and urged the other states to do the needful from their own end.
“If they do what we are doing, especially in the border communities, that will help to dismantle criminals coming from the states to commit crime in FCT and go back.
“The FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike said that he would collaborate with the neighboring states to make the security water tied, especially at the border.
“You should also know that there is a continuous collaboration among the commissioners of police in the neighbouring states which is being strengthened,” he added.
He identified the mountainous terrain of the border communities as one of the major challenges in tackling insecurity in the areas.
According to him, vehicles could not ply those areas, and as such, security manpower will have to cover the area on foot.
To address the challenge, Olumuji, said that the FCTA was considering the use of technology, particularly drones, to improve security surveillance in the border communities.
“We have the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) as part of the security network of FCT, so the FCT Administration will be relying on their capacity, technology wise particularly their use of drones.
“Operation Safe FCT was inaugurated by the FCT Minister made up of all security agencies including the Airforce.
“NAF has surveillance drones that we can leverage on, and the FCT Administration has gotten in touch with the NAF authorities to make those assets available for the security of FCT,” he said.
The secretary also said that the FCTA equally adopted the kinetic and non-kinetic approach to tackling insecurity in the capital city.
He said that one of the strategies of the non-kinetic approach was ensuring that the residents of FCT have the Police Command Control phone number to always call during security incidents.
“If you are able to call in real time when an incident occurs, then the security agencies can respond on time.
“Another non-kinetic approach is the encouragement of communities to have vigilantes and hunters as part of their security network.
“These community groups have been very active in complimenting the efforts of the security agencies in the FCT.
“There is also awareness creation which focuses on, ‘when you see something, say something’, this will enable security personnel to act,” he said. (NAN)
Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi