Speaking to the Nigerian Senate about the security situation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike noted that there have been positive developments in reducing it.
The Senate, in the early hours of the day’s plenary, resolved into a closed-door session to meet with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe.
The closed-door session began at 12:18 pm and ended at 1:50 pm following a motion by the Deputy Senate Leader, Oyelola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South).
OrderPaper recalls that the Senate, on Wednesday, February 28, summoned Wike and Igwe over the kidnap and eventual murder of Chris Agidy, an aide to Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), along with 19 others in the Galadimawa area of Abuja.
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The Senate resolved to call the FCT Minister and the Police Commissioner to brief them on the increasing cases of kidnapping in the FCT.
Speaking after the closed session, Wike said the problem was that some kidnapping cases were stage-managed by people who served as the victims’ aides.
He stated that he hopes to put many of the legislators’ recommendations into practice, adding that the Senate was pleased with the FCT’s improving security situation.
He said; “The Senators agreed that security has improved in the FCT. Let me also say that there is no part of the world where criminality has been abated. We have heard several times in the United States of America, that criminals go to school and shoot students. So people should not have that impression that you cannot have one crime or the other. What we need is to be able to limit or reduce the level of insecurity.
“But if anybody tells you that as societies are concerned, you will not have one crime or the other, that is not correct and we must tell ourselves the simple truth.
“Also, most of the kidnapping stories you hear, some of them are stage-managed by people. There are some internal arrangements. Take for example, you have a housekeeper or a driver in the house who will plot to kidnap the child of his boss. In such case what do you expect us to do? What we can do is to ensure that the person who is kidnapped is released, but stopping it will be difficult because it is an in-house arrangement where a driver who is paid to go and pick up his boss’ children from school will mastermind their kidnapping. So these are the things we should know.
“I am not saying there are no kidnapping cases. Mind you, two most wanted kidnappers have been arrested and that is why you see that the level of kidnapping has reduced. We are not saying we have gotten to where we want to be, but we are doing a lot and people should acknowledge that what used to be is not what we are seeing now. We will continue to do our best to ensure that we provide the best for our people. We cannot assure you that there will be no form of criminality, nobody can do that, as long as we are humans.”
He, however, promised improved security and more infrastructural development in the FCT.
“What is important is what the FCT should expect from now. I will say improved security and more infrastructure. You can see what is going on in the FCT. It has been turned into a construction site and you can also see what has happened in the FCTA. Now we have our own Civil Service Commission, now we have our Permanent Secretaries which has never been. There are new things in the FCT and the residents are happy,” he stated.
