Insecurity In FCT: Should Tinubu Sack Wike? Hamzat Lawal Speaks
- The executive director of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, has called for swift action against insecurity in Abuja
- The anti-corruption activists attributed the insecurity to the political distraction surrounding Nyesome Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory
- He urged President Bola Tinubu to take stern action and draw the hammer on Wike if the issue persists
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
FCT, Abuja - Amid the incessant insecurity cases in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, there is panic among residents and an immediate call for action.
Reacting to the development, the executive director of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, said the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, must grab the bull by the horns and take responsibility for the incessant crimes in Abuja.
Source: Facebook
In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Hamzat said:
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"You can't take away accountability from governance, you know, government must be transparent and accountable.
"So, we often announce the aftermath of playing politics with security. And that's why we're having insecurity because you can play politics with every sector, but you don't play politics with security."
Cases of insecurity in FCT
Over the past few weeks, there have been incidents of kidnapping across several axis of the nation's capital.
Most recently, some suspected bandits abducted an entire family, which included a man and his six daughters.
On Wednesday, January 24, an explosion occurred in the Maitama area of Abuja, which the police blamed on a refuse container under intense heat.
Amid all these incidents, the minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike, blamed the inadequacy of equipment for security agencies to track criminals roaming the nation's capital.
Speaking further, Hamzat reiterated that the government has played politics with security, and the aftermath is the high rate of insecurity in Nigeria's capital.
He also blamed the FCT minister for being distracted with the politics in Rivers, whereas he is supposed to focus on his primary assignment in Abuja.
Hamzat said:
"Nyesom Wike is still in that euphoria that he thinks he's still the governor of River State.
"He must decide whether he wants to continue to play the politics of Rivers or if he wants to meet the yearnings of Abuja and the Nigerian people because Abuja is the mirror of what people would perceive as Nigerian.
"And if you look at this incident, they're very tactical. It's happening simultaneously across various area councils.
"So, I think first, Nyesome Wike needs to understand that he is the mayor, he is the minister, and the governor of Abuja, and he must seize and take power and take charge of this city because if the city goes down, it means that it will reflect badly on President Tinubu and this is the seat of power. So, this is unacceptable.
"But Wike is playing politics, and now the politics he’s playing is making him lose focus on his primary responsibility of the indigenous people."
Should Tinubu fire Wike as FCT minister?
When asked if Wike should be relieved of his job by President Tinubu amid the insecurities in Abuja and distractions from Rivers state politics, Hamzat stated that there was a need to draw the line and set the record straight to put the minister on his toes.
He urged that Wike go beyond providing infrastructure and understand his responsibility as the chief security officer of the nation's capital as saddled upon him by President Tinubu.
The anti-corruption activists insisted that the President should do the needful if security does not improve in the FCT.
He said:
"I think if this persists, President Tinubu needs to draw the hammer on him because if you look at the body language of the president, if it were the previous government, they would have even let Beta Edu become the judge and jury of her case, but he took the bold step by suspending her. I think he needs to continue on that trajectory..."
Police gun down wanted Abuja kidnapper, Magamu, others
Meanwhile, the police have killed a suspected criminal, Magamu, and two other members of his gang after a firefight.
Police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed this development on Friday, January 26, while presenting several other suspected criminals.
Legit.ng reports that the suspects were allegedly involved in various crimes such as kidnapping, gun running, conspiracy, homicide, and extortion.
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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.
Hamzat Lawal (Policy advocate) Hamzat B. Lawal is an anti-corruption activist. He is the founder of Follow The Money, a social accountability initiative that comprises data analysts, journalists, activists, and students. Hamzat is also the Chief Executive of Connected Development (CODE), a non-governmental organization that is empowering marginalised communities in Africa with access to information on how to better engage their government for the implementation of public services.
