Some residents of Pegi community in Kuje area council Wednesday held a peaceful protest on the recent kidnap and insecurity in the area.
The protesters barricaded the entrance of the Kuje area council secretariat, holding placards with inscriptions like: “Kidnappers on rampage in Kuje, “Give us security in Peg community.”
The protesters alleged that the Kuje council and FCT administration failed to complete the road project linking Kuje town to the community, saying this had distorted the original master plan of the community.
Leader of the protesters, Aderibigbe Taiwo, told Blueprint that the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of the authorities to the insecurity, negligence and hardship of residents of the community.
He said the master plan of the Pegi resettlement site was originally mapped out by a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Malam Nasir el-Rufai in 2005.
He stated that the community had suffered hardship as a result of infrastructural deficit and security challenges in the area.
Taiwo said armed robbers and motorcycle snatchers always took advantage of the bad road linking the community to attack innocent residents, especially civil servants returning from work.
He said gunmen, dressed in military camouflage, Monday night, fired shots at vehicles and over four people were kidnapped and some residents seriously injured.
“About four people and a 10-year-old boy were among the victims that were kidnapped Monday in the community.
“The attackers could not be less than 20, as they fired sporadically and bullets deflated tyres and created deep holes on vehicles.
“This is the second time kidnapping incident is happening in the community. Over six people were kidnapped last year at the same location.
“I want to draw the attention of the relevant authorities on the negligence on infrastructure and hardship residents of the community are going through.
“We the residents of Pegi community have been neglected and several distortions have been made to the original master plan of our community.
“We are calling on the Kuje area council and FCT minister to come and address the rising spate of insecurity in our community,” he appealed.
Reacting, chairman of Kuje area council, Abdullahi Sabo, represented by the vice chairman, Shame Kwasu, assured the aggrieved protesters that the council in synergy with security operatives were on a search and rescue mission to ensure that the victims were rescued.
