.Tinubu empowers security operatives to flush out terrorists
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that “without the provision of security for life and property, the government has no other business.”
Wike stated this, yesterday, at a security meeting with leaders and security agencies in Bwari Area Council, which is the most tormented area in the territory, in recent weeks.
Insecurity in Abuja and neighbouring states, which worsened in the last few weeks, attracted serious attention from the government; hence, at yesterday’s meeting, the minister said security agencies were being given enough support to flush out terrorists.
Since February 2023, no fewer than 300 persons have been kidnapped in the FCT, despite the presence of 17 armed security agencies in the territory. Forty-five of the victims lost their lives in the den of the kidnappers.
Just last week, terrorists 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 Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, who was kidnapped alongside 22 others in Bwari.
The minister had, on Tuesday, 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.
But at the town hall meeting, yesterday, the minister said 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, as “enough is enough”.
He stated: “Security is one of the key priorities of Tinubu’s administration. Yesterday, the President summoned a high-level security meeting, which included all the service chiefs, the Minister of Defence and my humble self, because of recent attacks, particularly in Bwari. So, it is one of the key priorities that the 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 life and property, without which we have no business in government. My coming here today is to assure you that we are very serious. For all those criminals and bandits, enough is enough. We will do everything in our power to prevent recurrence. That is why, just this morning, the President has given me approval to provide everything required by the security agencies. Just like what Etsu-Bwari and Sarkin-Bwari said, it is not by merely talking; we are serious.”
Wike, who enjoined residents to avoid actions that could encourage the kidnappers, said ransom payment should be halted.
He asked the locals to give out credible information, where necessary, to help the security agencies.
Heads of security agencies in the FCT led by the Commissioner of Police, Garba Haruna, as well as the Sarkin Bwari, Etsu Bwari, Senator Philip Aduda, Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Imam, hunters and vigilantes, who are members of the Joint Task Force in the council, were present at the meeting.
