y Sarah NEGEDU
The fight against crimes in the Federal Capital Territory witnessed a boost with the donation of 30 operational vehicles and an Area Command office to the police in AMAC and Abaji Area Councils respectively.
Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Abdullahi Candido, while handing over the vehicles to benefitting divisions within AMAC, said the donation is born out of the desire to collaborate with other actors in the fight against crimes that are building empires in the nation’s capital.
To this end, he stressed that the creation of AMAC Marshal Guards, is also geared towards tackling the security challenges in the council and ultimately to provide intelligence gathering to other conventional security outfits, engaging in surveillance activities and rendering security services.
He noted that since the creation of AMAC Marshals in 2016, the outfit has employed not less than 600 youths from the council, noting that the increasing unemployment rate has heightened insecurity in the society.
According to him, “this has helped to reduce unemployment rate of our youths drastically and has also lessen criminal activities within the council”.
Also speaking at the event, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, said the donation arose from the chairman’s desire to contribute in assisting the police force in fighting crimes within the area council in particular, and by extension the Federal Capital Territory.
She observed that with the increasing reliance on technology, it is becoming more and more essential to secure every aspect of the environment, noting that security begins with good prevention and basic knowledge.
“In this wise, the handing over of these operational vehicles is in line with our mandate not just to deliver dividends of democracy to our people, but also to protect lives and property of citizens,” she stressed.
The minister commended the leadership of the council for equipping the police in fighting crimes, just as she called on residents to assist the police with useful information that would aid them for the overall peaceful coexistence of their various councils.
The minister later inaugurated the Abaji police area command office and flagged off some peoples oriented projects and programmes at Abaji area council.
She commended the chairman of the area council for empowering numerous citizens of Abaji through the provision and distribution of motor cycles to Okada members, provision of speed boats to Kurege, Maniogi and Alu communities, purchase of irrigation pumping machines to farmers, and distribution of grinding machines to rural women, amongst other empowerment schemes.
Aliyu called on residents of benefiting communities to justify government’s investment in their communities by ensuring proper maintenance of these projects for the overall development of the areas.
On his part, the chairman of Abaji area council, Hon. Abdulrahman Ajiya, said as part of efforts to curb social vices in the area council, his administration has also empowered about 1,000 youths and women in various skills acquisition.
