Tinubu Told To Hold Wike Accountable Over Rising Insecurity in Abuja
- President Bola Tinubu has been told to hold Nyesom Wike accountable for the rising insecurity in Abuja.
- Over the past few weeks, residents of the nation's capital have raised alarm over several cases of abduction and attacks.
- Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, slammed the FCT minister for not taking responsibility for the insecurity in the nation's capital.
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Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja - Human Rights Activist and Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, has criticised the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesome Wike, for the escalating insecurity, kidnappings, injuries, and fatalities in Abuja.
Adeyanju has called on President Bola Tinubu to step in and hold Wike responsible for the security issues affecting the FCT.
Source: Facebook
In a press statement, Adeyanju expressed deep concern and anger at the increasing incidents of kidnappings and killings in Abuja over the past few months.
He said:
"Instead of taking responsibility as the Chief Executive Officer of the FCT, he was busy blaming Council Chairmen for traveling out of their Area Council just yesterday when he spent days partying and politicking in Rivers State himself.
"He has refused to actively address the pressing issues facing the FCT. He seems to be more preoccupied with politicking and engaging in power struggles in his home state of Rivers.
"This neglect of duty has left the people of Abuja vulnerable and exposed to the nefarious activities of criminals.”
Adeyanju added that the sudden eviction of various individuals, including scavengers, and the demolition of makeshift dwellings where vulnerable people earned their living have played a role in the prevailing insecurity in the FCT.
The advocate emphasised the unfortunate fact that the impoverished, who have been overlooked and marginalised, are turning to criminal activities like kidnapping as a means of survival.
Reacting separately to this development, security and anti-terrorism expert Dr Abubakar Sani urged the federal government to declare an emergency of the rising insecurity in Abuja.
In a chat with Legit.ng, he said:
"My honest view is that the security situation in Abuja should be an issue of national emergency because the lives and property of the residents are no longer safe."
Dr Sani slammed security agencies for prioritising safeguarding VIPs and politicians instead of the lives and properties of the commoner.
He said:
"This is the centre of government. It has the highest rate of kidnappings for ransom in the country. The security apparatus is only concerned with protecting VIPs and senior government officials. They don't care about the masses, so virtually all the area councils of the FCT are red zones."
Message to security agencies
On proposing solutions for insecurity in the nation's capital, Dr Sani urged the government to invest in intelligence gathering through human, electronic, and signal intelligence so that the criminals can be apprehended before they carry out their acts.
He also urged for judicial reform in adjudicating the cases of these criminals.
Dr Sani said:
"The judiciary must work. They must punish criminals no matter who they are so that we can have deterrence mechanisms for others.
"We need to empower the police. The issue of corruption and aiding criminals within the police must also be addressed."
On the other hand, Adeyanju also called upon security agencies to strengthen their intelligence-gathering capabilities and intensify their endeavours to create a secure environment in the city, enabling all residents to dwell and pursue their ambitions without fear.
He said:
“If the concerns raised in this statement are not urgently addressed, we, concerned Nigerians, will not hesitate to take to the streets in peaceful protests to demand justice and security for all.
"The lives of innocent citizens are at stake, and we will not allow their suffering to go unnoticed or unaddressed.”
FCT: Wike gives fresh security update
Meanwhile, FCT minister Nyesom Wike has given an update on the plan to tame bandits and other criminal elements in the territory.
Wike, in a town hall meeting with the Gwagwalada area council chairman and others, revealed some persons who are informants to bandits have been arrested.
However, the former Rivers governor did not state the number of persons arrested or give further information on the arrests.
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Source: Legit.ng
Segun Adeyemi (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Segun Adeyemi is a journalist with over 9 years of experience as an active field reporter, editor, and editorial manager. He has had stints with Daily Trust newspaper, Daily Nigerian, and News Digest. He currently works as an editor for Legit.ng's current affairs and politics desk. He holds a degree in Mass Communication (Adekunle Ajasin University). He is a certified digital reporter by Reuters, AFP and the co-convener of the annual campus journalism awards. Email: segun.adeyemi@corp.legit.ng.
Dr Abubakar Sani (Public affairs and security analyst) Dr Abubakar Sani is a public affairs and security analyst. He is an SSA to former Army Chief, T.Y Buratai. He is a Certified Anti-Terrorism Specialist (CAS) and a researcher of international repute.
