Insecurity: Wike Donates Motorcycles To Vigilantes, Security Agencies

By: Wisdom Acka

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has handed over 60 motorcycles to the Vigilante Group of Nigeria.

The Minister, who handed over the motorcycles in his office, Monday, also gave gave 30 motorcycles to the Nigeria Police and five each to the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

He said that the donation of the motorcycles was part of the FCT Administration’s determination to consolidate on the grains recorded in the fight against insecurity, especially kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister warned that the motorcycles must not be used in the townships, where the FCT Administration had banned the operations of commercial motorcycles, but only in hard-to-reach areass for only security purposes.

Charging the Vigilante to utilize the motorcycles to assist the Police and other security agencies in combating crimes, particularly in the rural areas of the FCT, Wike expressed appreciation to the group for its selfless sacrifices to protecting lives and property in the FCT.

His words: “Remember that security agencies requested for specialized motorcycles that will be used, particularly in the rural areas. The vigilante groups will use them in the six Area Councils, and then the Police, the SSS, and the Civil Defence will also want to do theirs.”

“Let me caution, particularly to the security agencies, I don’t want to hear stories tomorrow that the motorcycles are nowhere to be found again. I don’t want to hear such stories, because sometimes when you give out vehicles, before you knew it, the vehicles are no more there. Please utilize these motorcycles to fight crimes in the areas you have identified,” he reiterated.

Wike added, “Ordinarily, the Chairmen of the Area Councils ought to handle this, but this is our support to them in the Councils. Make sure that these motorcycles are given out to the vigilante groups, and we are going to provide logistics for those who are going to use these motorcycles. We are going to provide logistics for them.”

“We have promised the residents of the Federal Capital Territory that security is a priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Anything we can do to protect lives and properties; we are going to do it. So, I urge you to use it well, and take it not for commercial purposes. I don’t want to see the motorcycles in the city here. It should be used in the rural areas, so, they should not be used here,” he emphasized.

The Minister continued: “We are trying to sustain the ban on commercial motorcycles in the Abuja metropolis, so please let it be taken to the rural areas. All the security agencies should give them to their outposts.”

“We do not want to continue to hear excuses that the terrain is so bad, they require this and that and they have not been given. Now that you have been given, these may not be enough, we will continue to provide more,” restated.

Wike disclosed that his Administration would soon distribute already procured vehicles to all security agencies in the Territory to assist them carry out their duties.

According to him, “For vehicles, we believe by the next two weeks, the vehicles would have been ready to give out to the security agencies. For us, we will not relent until those who say we will not sleep, they too will also not sleep”.

In his response, Commandant General of the Vigilance Group of Nigeria, Navy Captain Abubakar Bakori Umar (rtd.), commended the Minister for donating operational motorcycles to the group to enhance community security in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

Commandant General thanked the Minister for the kind gesture and assured that they would use the operational motorcycles judiciously in strengthening rural security in the FCT.

The Commandant General noted that officers and men of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria were well trained and embedded in the communities and rural areas across the country where they assist the police and other security agencies with vital intelligence resulting in successful counter insurgency operations.

He assured the Minister and residents that the motorcycles would enhance the operations and efficiency of his men, by reducing their incident response time thereby improving general security in the FCT.