The minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that security operatives in the Territory have arrested some informants working for kidnappers, who had been launching attacks in some parts of the Territory for weeks now.
Wike, who made this known on Friday during a townhall meeting with various stakeholders and residents of Gwagwalada Area Council, also declared that the time for kidnappers and their informants in the Territory was up, vowing to go after them and make them pay for their crimes.
The minister, while speaking in Pidgin English, said that President Bola Tinubu asked him to visit the six Area Councils and ensure the safety of all residents of the FCT.
“The other day, I was in Bwari and next week, I will go to Kwali. Security is one thing the president promised Nigerians, because his job is to protect lives and property. If we can not protect lives and property, then we have no reason to be in government.
“The president has asked me to assure you that he will not abandon you. So, all these criminals, be ready, your time is up. You know if I say I will do something, I will do it. And now that I am here today, if you know you are an informant or even one of the criminals, the end has come for you.
“I and security agencies will follow you to the point that you will not enter Gwagwalada again. Some of the people giving them information, we have arrested them. If they have not arrested you, it does not mean that we will not arrest you tomorrow or even before we leave this place,” the Minister said.
Wike, while responding to requests for more police divisions in the Gwagwalada Council Area, told the representative of the Police Commissioner to work out the modalities.
“The CP should work out how we can provide two more police divisions in Gwagwalada. We must do this immediately. It is a security matter and must not be bogged down by bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“The president has given me power to buy more vehicles. By next week, we shall give more vehicles to all police stations. We shall give them modern communication gadgets. The president has said he does not want to hear any story of kidnapping in Abuja again and the security agencies have promised to rise to the occasion.
“We are very serious. We are not playing. But we need your support too because security agencies cannot do this work alone. They need information. When you give them information, they will work better,” he said.
The minister further reiterated his earlier advice to residents to stop crowdfunding for ransom, saying such action only serves to fuel more kidnapping.
“It is not also good to go to the radio to raise ransoms. It is a way of encouraging criminals. We know it is not easy when your people are in captivity but we have to avoid raising ransom. It fuels the activities of kidnappers,” he said.
Wike also approved in principle a request by the Gwagwalada Area Council chairman for the demolition of some uncompleted structures, which he said criminals had been using as their safe havens.
“By Monday, the chairman should bring the letter for me to approve the demolition of uncompleted structures where criminals are hibernating. Do not behave like civil servants. Today is Friday, ensure you bring the letter by Monday and I will be happy to approve it,” he stated.
Earlier, chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri, said the council had not suffered much attacks since last year, but requested for more police divisions in the area.
“From January last year to December, we here in Gwagwalada, we didn’t have much issues of kidnapping. We used to have before but with the synergy among stakeholders, it was reduced.
“We have some undeveloped structures and I will write to your office for approval because that is where criminals hibernate. I will write to you for approval so that we can clear all those structures because that is where criminals hide and launch attacks on the people.
“We also need more police divisions in the council (area) because we only have two – one in Zuba and one in Gwagwalada town. We want more divisions in the boundary between Gwagwalada (FCT) and Niger state, precisely in Dobi. Also, we need one in Giri village where there is a constant influx of people,” he said.
The Council chairman’s requests were also re-echoed by traditional rulers present at the event.
They further requested the FCT minister to complete the General Hospital in Gwagwalada and dualise the ever-busy road leading to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
