FCT MINISTER TASKS G-7 ON COLLABORATION TO END ESCALATING CROSS-BORDER CRIMES
By: Wisdom Acka
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has charged security agencies across the G-7 states to deepen intelligence-sharing and operational coordination to dismantle criminal networks exploiting porous borders within the North Central Region.
The Minister, who was represented by the FCT Head of Service, Mrs. Grace Adayilo, issued the directive at the G-7 States’ Technical Committee Meeting held at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, Jabi, Abuja, on Thursday, 28th August 2025.
Wike warned that evolving threats from crimes and criminality, such as kidnappings, banditry, and human trafficking, required unified and innovative strategies.
The Minister noted that criminals no longer operate in isolation, revealing they now leverage technology and interstate vulnerabilities, thus necessitating an equally dynamic response, which could be achieved only through relentless collaboration.
His words: “The nature of threats has become increasingly dynamic, and criminal elements are exploiting technology and porous boundaries. Only through coordinated operations can we overcome them.”
Thursday’s meeting followed reports of resurgent crimes along Abuja’s fringes from security operatives whose sacrifices Wike commended, vowing that the FCT Administration would spare no resources in fortifying the security alliance.
Abuja Digest recalls that, established in 2007, the G-7 Security Forum comprises the FCT, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kaduna, Benue, and Plateau states
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Usaini Gumel, AIG in charge of Community Policing, Research and Planning, affirmed the initiative’s impact, noting that “seven states pooling resources against crime yield far greater results than isolated efforts.”
He therefore urged alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and called for actionable blueprints
Similarly, FCT Commissioner of Police and Chairman, G-7 Committee, CP Ajao Adewale, cited a recent breakthrough from collaboration.
According to him, the arrest of a Nasarawa State-based kidnap kingpin, Muhammad Tahir, whose syndicate operated across state lines, was successful sue to collaboration.
He revealed that the over ₦7.4 million ransom that Tahir had collected was recovered. “This victory underscores why interstate cooperation isn’t optional; it’s existential,” Adewale stated.
On his part, Major General Mike Alechenu, Commander of the Defence Headquarters Garrison, pledged military support, warning that “no single agency can defeat today’s sophisticated networks alone.”
More so, the meeting also spotlighted insecurity’s collateral damage as Mandate Secretary, FCTA Education Secretariat, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, revealed that teacher abductions in rural areas were worsening the out-of-school crisis, despite the government’s renovation of 73 schools.
His Women Affairs counterpart, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, echoing the concerns, noted that fear was driving educators away from vulnerable communities. “If we don’t act now, a generation will be lost,” she cautioned.
Director, FCT Security Service and Secretary of the G-7 Technical Committee, Adamu Gwary, noted that collective efforts would yield greater results.
“This program comes at the right time, especially considering the current security challenges. Alone, each state may not achieve the desired results, but together, the outcome is always greater,” he said.
Abuja Digest reports that the G-7 Committee is expected to map out vulnerable areas, develop operational strategies, and recommend decisive measures to strengthen security in the region.
