SECURITY ADVISORY: FCT EXCO REASSURES RESIDENTS OF SAFTEY
By: Ben Ukeji, Prudence Okonna and Shekwonya Sunday
Arising from the series of security advisory issued by some Embassies in Abuja warning their citizens to avoid public places in the nation’s Capital, the FCT Executive Committee (EXCO) has reassured the residents of the Federal Capital Territory of their safety, insisting that adequate security arrangements have been made to sustain the state of law and order in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
In a statement signed by the Director, Information and Communication, Muhammad Hazat Sule, the EXCO, gave the assurance during its 12th Meeting at Gwarinpa I District, Abuja, and said every necessary arrangement has been made by the government in conjunction with security agencies to safeguard lives and property of all residents.
It also noted that though the Advisory has generated tensions, fear, and panic among residents, the security agencies are combing the nooks and crannies of the Territory to fish out criminals and other persons wishing to truncate the peace and tranquility of the FCT.
According to the EXCO, “Even before the issuance of the advisory, the security agencies have maintained and upscaled surveillance through their personnel within the Federal Capital City to ward off any security breach’.
It reiterated that the procurement and distribution of sixty operational vehicles fitted with the state-of-the-art equipment to security agencies by the Administration is strategically done to assist and enhance their performance.
The EXCO recalled that, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, had earlier convened an emergency security meeting where issues concerning the security alert given by some embassies in Abuja, to their citizens were exhaustively discussed and measures taken to sustain the current state of security and prevent any breach.
The meeting, however, urged residents to cooperate at all times with the security agencies by volunteering useful and timely information that will assist in nipping any form of criminality in the bud.
The Committee, therefore, enjoined residents to install Close-Circuit Television (CCTV) in public places and buildings, to complement on-going efforts by government at tackling the prevailing security challenges in the country in line with National Security Council advice.
“The installation, will no doubt, enhance surveillance and deter criminal activities around the Federal Capital City, Abuja,” the EXCO emphasized.
The EXCO noted that the first phase of the joint security operation by G-7; being states that are contiguous to the FCT, which ended on the 25th October, this year, recorded a remarkable success, especially with the arrest of bandits and rescue of kidnapped victims.
Today’s FCT EXCO meeting was presided over by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olusade Adesola, who represented the FCT Minister , Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, and attended by the Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Mallam Bashir Mai-Borno, Secretaries of Mandate Secretariats, AMMC Coordinator among others.
