Residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have continued to raise the alarm over menace of violent criminals and gross insecurity in the territory with some asking whether the authorities were overwhelmed, TOPE SUNDAY and KEHINDE OSASONA write.
Following the deteriorating security situation in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the House of Representatives last year summoned the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, to appear before it. The invitation followed a motion of urgent public importance which was moved by the Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu (PDP, Enugu).
Citing order 8 rules 4 of the House, Okechukwu called for an urgent need to arrest the worsening insecurity in Nigeria, particularly the FCT.
He said in his motion that Abuja has never been this unsafe, noting that the insecurity is due to “influx of bandits and other criminals, lack of modern security infrastructure in the city centre and the satellite towns, and non-maintenance of available ones, including CCTV installations and as little as streetlights.”
Attacks after Reps’ summon
Blueprint Weekend reports that before this time, there had been series of attacks on hapless Abuja residents ranging from insurgent attack, kidnapping, armed robbery, one-chance robbery and other forms of attack which made some residents to conclude that the country’s security architecture may have been compromised and needed restructuring.
Amidst staggering economy, Nigeria has continued to face multiple challenges including rise in insecurity which has got to an alarming stage. Consequently, the situation has led to ruins, loss of lives and property in the country.
Also in Kuje few years back, the Boko Haram insurgents struck, blowing up a market and a police station, and not less than 13 residents lost their lives, while 20 others were injured.
As if that were not enough, the spate of kidnapping in the city centre and suburbs has been on the rise. In 2021, in Dogon-Ruwa Community in Kwali Area Council, unknown gunmen reportedly attacked a Fulani settlement, kidnapped four herders while others were seriously injured.
The attackers invaded the area with AK-47 rifles, shooting sporadically before whisking the victims to an unknown destination. According to reports, one of the victims was abandoned on the roadside after the kidnappers discovered he was seriously injured.
Earlier in April this year, a 10-man kidnapping gang forcefully gained entrance into a house in Kuje after shooting sporadically into the air and pulling down the widow burglary.
“Immediately they entered at about 1am they told everybody in the house to lie down with each of them pointing their guns on each member of the family.
“The next thing they did was that, they demanded for a bag in the house and when one of my family members brought a bag, they rejected it and demanded for a particular one. So, the family member went inside the room and brought another bag that they accepted and abducted the husband, one of his daughters, his brother, and his sister-in-law,” one of the victims recountded.
UniAbuja experience
In November last year, some kidnappers stormed the staff quarters of the University of Abuja and abducted a Professor of Economics, Obansa Joseph, two of his children, and other people.
The gunmen, according to reports, invaded the senior staff quarters at Giri in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they operated for about an hour.
Armed robbery/ one chance robbery
Kidnapping, killings, armed robbery, burglary and cult-related activities are relatively becoming rampant in the FCT. Blueprint Weekend can reliably report that some parts of the FCT suburbs like Kubwa, Lugbe, Bwari, Kwali and Gwagwada among others, usually experience constant attacks.
Residents of the capital city lose their assets to the criminals nearly every day. From the accounts of victims and hospital sources, the people robbed end up losing their phones, money and, sometimes, lives.
This medium can also report that the dark spots the robbers frequently operate include Wuye Junction, Galadimawa roundabout, Gwarinpa Junction, Federal Housing Junction Kubwa, Wuse Market, Area I, Airport Road Lugbe, among others.
A victim, who did not want his name in print, said: “One chance robbers have two things in common. They all make use of cars and are after their victims’ money or other valuables. Though their tactic varies; it is aggressive. Most victims report that the attackers are within the age bracket between 20s and 40s. At times, they make use of Point-of-Sale machines to withdraw from their victim’s account, and at other times they use ATMs while the account owner is still taken hostage. Often, they operate in the early morning hours, or early evening from 6 pm until late into the night”.
Another victim, who according to her was new in Abuja, Victoria Samuel, said: “one ill-fated day, I was going to the town to get some stuffs, but boarded a vehicle, which was occupied by a man in the front and a woman and a man at the back. When I wanted to enter, the man alighted for me with an excuse that he would soon drop. I agreed with him, but about three minutes into our journey, I was robbed inside the car. It was during the robbery that I discovered that the four of them, the driver inclusive, that they were working together. They robbed of N20,000, and they later dropped me along the road”.
Genuine estate invasion
Gunmen suspected to be bandits in the early hours of Monday attacked Gwarinpa Estate in the Federal Capital Territory. The rampaging gunmen, according to the report, stormed Genuine Estate after Efab Queens on 6th Avenue, Gwarinpa, and operated in estate between 1am and 4am.
Though, it was alleged that some residents were kidnapped, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, Josephine Adeh, described the incident as a robbery case.
Adeh, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, according to reports, said the police had already been mobilised to the scene to ascertain how the incident happened.
Residents express fears
A resident of the FCT, Bilikisu Irama, who spoke with Blueprint Weekend, expressed concern over the rising rate of insecurity in the nation’s capital, and called for the installation of streetlights and surveillance cameras in the territory.
She said: “Lately, if you’re moving you have to be careful or watch your back. Imagine, I hardly go out when it is 5-6pm or walk in a rowdy place because of one chance and what have you.
“Going forward, I think there should be proper lightening and installation of security cameras to be able to feel safe because while moving in some places you don’t even know what is in front of you.”
Also speaking, another resident, Muhammed Jibril, noted that the government has a big role to play, and called on the residents of the territory to be of help to their neighbours during attacks.
He said: “Apart from mounting neighbourhood watch, we should not stay aloof when people are being attacked. The least you can do is snap the whole scenario or call the police if you don’t want to be attacked or something. I also think government should intensify patrols and beef up security in the FCT and its environs,, especially at a time like this so that life and property can be secured.”
