Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has declared that poverty cannot be used as justification for unlawful migration to Abuja, illegal settlement in shanties, or criminal activities within the city.
Speaking during his monthly media chat on Monday, Wike said criminals deliberately hide in illegal settlements to evade detection, stressing that security remained the top priority of his administration.
“Criminals don’t stay where you will locate them, they do not stay in houses where you will identify them. Criminals stay in these places where you cannot locate them,” Wike said.
He warned that the government would not condone situations where poverty is used as an excuse for lawlessness.
“We cannot say because of poverty, we should allow you to kill people, to rob them, to kidnap people. That is not allowed,” the minister stated.
The minister expressed concern that some landowners were complicit in enabling insecurity by leaving lands undeveloped, thereby creating spaces where criminals take shelter.
“It has infested the city, and that is why we have told people who claim the land belongs to them: why are you not developing the lands? Why are you making it possible for these criminals to come and settle here and cause problems for the city, and then you say government is not doing anything?” he queried.
The minister vowed that illegal occupants would be evicted from settlements across the FCT in order to safeguard residents.
“We are going to make sure that all illegal occupants anywhere will be thrown out. It is unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do about it because security is key. It is paramount, because any government that cannot provide security for its citizens has nothing to do,” Wike stressed.
He further argued that poverty is a global challenge but should not be exploited to justify crime.
“You see, we have to be careful about this poverty or no poverty thing. There has never been a time anybody can say there is no poverty—mention the country, it’s all over the world.
“Go to China, go to places, there are areas you will see poverty. But that does not give you room to make people uncomfortable, to kidnap people, to rob people, to kill people. No, we will not allow that. So let nobody be using this poverty thing as an excuse,” Wike said.
