By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The FCT Administration has promised scavengers, cultism and drug abuse a hard time in the territory as strategies to ensure the security of lives and properties of residents of the FCT.
FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello disclosed this during the regular FCT Security Committee meeting held on Tuesday.
According to the minister, scavengers who often operate under the influence of hard drugs, perpetrate a lot of criminal activities within the Territory which will not be tolerated.
He said, “each time there is crisis, you find that people of no known address, people without any means of livelihood suddenly come up with arms and start fighting each other and killing each other. All these are done under the influence of drugs and this is something that we are going to confront head-on”.
According to him, scavengers had hitherto concentrated their criminal activities on vandalizing public utilities but had now become major threats to lives and property, adding that their activities remain banned in the Federal Capital City.
The minister said that the task of security cannot be left to the police alone disclosed the strategy of an improved working synergy within the security and intelligence community in the FCT.
He also called for the support of the citizenry to always provide intelligence to the security agencies.
Malam Bello said “We need citizens’ support, especially in terms of intelligence dissemination and also for leaders at all levels, whether it’s at the ward level or at the city level or at the village level or at the Area Council level.”
“Political leaders at all level, as well as traditional and religious leaders have to play their part and we need to communicate and also encourage citizens to be law abiding and also to provide needed intelligence. Doing that, I think by the grace of God, we will surmount and continue to make FCT a very safe place for everybody.”
The Minister further hinted that security agencies have also hatched their plans and strategies to fight the kidnappings that occur, especially in communities outside the Federal Capital City.
Meanwhile he disclosed that efforts will be made to continue to encourage the cordial relationship between herders and farmers within the FCT in order to prevent clashes between them.
Minister of State, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu also reassured residents of safety of their lives and property.
She further disclosed that the Administration was paying great attention to the reoccurrence of the Ebola Virus disease in Guinea taking into consideration that the FCT was an international gateway into Nigeria.
Aliyu called on private clinics running the COVID-19 tests without reporting their finding to the relevant health authorities to desist from doing so.
She called for the full disclosure of all mortalities suspected to be to COVID-19 so that post mortems can be carried out on the deceased so that their relations can receive adequate care.
At the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, FCTA Mr Olusade Adesola, the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Malam Bashir Mai-Bornu, the Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Engr Umar Gambo Jubrin, Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Ciroma, traditional and religious leaders, Area Council Chairmen, heads of relevant FCTA agencies and departments as well as heads of the various military and para-military formations in the FCT.
