FCT Complaints Commission Boss, Dalhatu Calls For Synergy Among Security Agencies, Others  To Combat Kidnapping, Others

The Honourable Commissioner, Public Complaints Commission FCT, Comrade Dalhatu Ezekiel Musa has called for synergy among all security agencies and other relevant stakeholders in the security sector to combat the rising menace of insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory.

Dalhatu, who made the call on Tuesday in his office in Abuja at a press briefing said his Commission has been receiving lots of complaints by residents of the FCT regarding the activities of kidnappers which have become a constant source of concern. The Commissioner, however, commended security agencies for their efforts in handling the situation but said a lot still needed to be done to keep residents of the FCT, especially those that reside in suburbs safe.

“We have an avalanche of complaints that bother on issues that concern the citizens and the residents of FCT. First, the issue of security, we have had a series of security challenges in the FCT. Recently we are aware that professors were abducted at the University of Abuja. We appreciate the security agencies for doing their jobs and acting swiftly and also the FCT Administration,  but we want to make it clear that this issue of insecurity is still prevalent in the FCT especially in the rural communities where the indigenous people and the original inhabitants and other Nigerians are largely residing in Yangochi, Robochi, in Darka, in Kabinangi, Tungamaji, in Bodogi, in Godo, in Abaji, and some other places in Kwali and all of that. These kidnappers are harassing the people kidnapping them and in some cases even killing them.

“The government and the FCT Administration, yes, they are doing their best, but we want to recommend that let’s be more proactive, the security agencies, the police and all of them, must be well equipped, off the camera we speak to them, they have challenges of vehicles, funding, and all of that. We feel by way of recommendation just like we have written, we feel that they should be more equipped so that these criminals would be gotten rid of once and for all in the FCT so that everybody would sleep with their two eyes closed, especially in the rural communities.

“We have also recommended that the vigilantes, the critical state holders should be assembled for urgent security summit where we can leverage on some of this information that is needed and ensure that all hands would be on deck to solve this issue of insecurity in FCT once and for all. The Area Council Chairmen should secure their area councils, they should act swiftly and be proactive by harnessing and seeing how they can utilize the local people. The locals, including the hunters association, the vigilantes to complement the efforts of the conventional security, the Police the army, and all of that, so that we would have an egalitarian society, a peaceful FCT where everybody would be happy they reside there.

“Again, there is this issue of influx and then the increase of the presence of Okada riders, especially along Nyanya Axis, from Kugbo, to Abacha Barracks, and we have gone there for on the spot assessments to see for ourselves, we have visuals all of this, and you would find out that with the checkpoints mounted by the Nigerian military, usually, the okada riders would now have a field day, where people would now use them to ply into the town that even the incriminating things you are checking for in vehicles can also be transported by the okada. So while the check is going on for cars and motorists, there should be a way to barricade these okada operators from accessing the city because this is a model city and this should not be seen. It’s obvious that you don’t expect the minister of the FCT to be there to ensure that no okada comes in. The civil servant, every person that is saddled with the responsibility of checkmating this and ensuring that it doesn’t happen must live up to their expectations. They must do their jobs because they are using taxpayers’ money to pay them. As an Ombudsman I’m not being paid with taxpayers’ money to come and be clapping for people. My job is to ensure that the right thing is done anytime any day in the FCT so that we would clap for this government and ensure that people are getting the needed services that are desirous of them.

“And also this issue of dispatch riders is becoming a critical issue in the FCT, the dispatch riders are in a way seems to be more like the okadas, because the influx of them we are seeing even in the FCT is worrisome. And again, critically from our finding, we do not see any form of regulations to even check the content of what they are transporting from one place to another. And if you move from area one before you get to Gwarimpa or Life camp you must have seen two or three lying down there as a result of the accident and the way and manner they even ride the bikes and wobble among cars and all of that, it constitutes a danger to motorists who are plying the roads. Our recommendation once again is FCTA should have a stiffer measure of regulating the activities of the dispatch riders and more importantly have a measure of checking the content of what they are transporting from point A to point B. They should even have a time limit a time they operate just like Uber, there should be a time they operate. Once it’s midnight you can’t access Uber or Bolt but the dispatch riders anytime they do their jobs. And delivery, there should be a very stiffer measure of regulating the activities of the dispatch riders before it would snowball and become a major threat to us” the Commissioner said at the press briefing.