FCTA Tasks G-7 on Combating Cross-Border Crimes

By: Wisdom Acka

Members of the G-7 States have been challenged to come up with adaptable strategies in combating growing cross-border crime and criminalities bedeviling the Federal Capital Territory and its contiguous States.

Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Olusade Adesola, gave this challenge at the 9th Technical Committee meeting of the G-7 States in Abuja, Wednesday.

The Permanent Secretary said that this challenge has become necessary due to the surge of insecurity and activities of criminal elements transversing the nation’s capital and other member States.

Recall that the G-7 Security Summit was initiated by the FCT Administration in 2007 for the purpose of intelligence gathering, sharing and joint-border operations between the FCT and neighbouring states of Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau, with the view to tackling security challenges affecting member states.

Represented at the occasion by the Director, Finance and Administration, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Ishaq Sadiq, the Permanent Secretary stated that the FCTA reconvened the G-7 meeting to tackle recent upsurge of criminal elements in the zone, with a view to reviewing operational strategies that would guarantee optimal success.

Stressing the importance and urgency of the Summit, the Adesola urged member state Chief Executives to prioritize issues of security of lives and properties of the citizenry within their respective domains as well as providing materials and other logistic support to our Security Agencies to enhance their field operations.

His words: “Security, as we are all aware, is a fundamental pillar upon which any thriving society is built. It is an essential component that ensures the safety, well-being, and prosperity of our people”.

“In recognition of this fact, the FCT Administration has consistently prioritized the platform for the enhancement of security measures within our Territory and beyond. Just recently, the Administration provided several operational vehicles and security gadgets to Security Agencies within the Territory in a bid to effectively combat crime and criminalities,” he added.

“This meeting, therefore, marks yet another significant effort and commitment in our drive to ensuring a more holistic approach in redesigning our security architecture for effective delivery. In a rapidly evolving world, the nature of threats and challenges has become increasingly complex and dynamic”, Adesola explained.

He decried that criminal elements were continuously adapting and exploiting technological advancements to further their illicit activities hence the imperative for dynamic approach, including synergy and joint operations among other strategies to overcome their nefarious activities.

In his welcome address, the FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Haruna, noted that security concerns across the country have become increasingly complex and technologically based, therefore, requiring coordinated efforts from all stakeholders.

The CP pointed that Operation G-7 represents a united front, bringing together collective expertise and experience to tackle the prevailing security.

He said: “As we converge in this hall today, let us not forget the weight of responsibilities that has been put on our shoulders. The security of our citizens and the preservation of law and order are not mere aspirations, they are the pillars upon which every thriving community is built. We cannot afford to falter in our mission to our people, nor can we rest until our communities are safe and secured.”

“Let me at this stage stress that using the G-7 platform, we may have gotten a unique opportunity to reinforce our collective efforts and chart a way forward that will not only mitigate existing threats to our collective survival but also prevent future ones,” the Police Commissioner stressed.

“Our collaboration, coordination, and seamless exchange of intelligence will undoubtedly serve as the bedrock of our success. Let us leverage on this platform to foster understanding, strengthen partnerships, and devise innovative strategies that will defeat crime and criminality”, he emphasized.

The CP noted that due to prevailing criminal activities in the region, it became necessary for the heads of security agencies to meet regularly to review the current security situation and proffer appropriate operational plans and arrangements to address the menace.

On his part, Assistant Inspector General in charge of Zone 7, Adebowale Williams, called for synergy in intelligence gathering among member states in order to reduce response time to crime and to stop criminals on their track.

The AIG also tasked the police to ensure they carry the local communities along in the fight against crime and criminality.

Tagged: “Technical Committee of the G-7 States”, the Summit saw the gathering of top security brass from the G-7 States comprising the Commissioners of Police, State Directors of Department of State Security Services, DSS, Commandants of NSCDC of FCT, Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States.