· Beefs up security in rural communities
· Set Sept target for G-7 joint security operations
· FCT police get additional personnel
By Sarah NEGEDU
As the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, ramps up its security architecture, the administration has turned to building a viable local security network in the rural communities to help tackle the challenges of insecurity in the territory.
Already the FCTA Security Committee has finalised plans to strengthen the existing synergy between the security agencies and the various communities, especially those prone to incidences of kidnapping, banditry, terrorism, among other violent crimes.
The committee, at its last meeting, also fine-tuned arrangements for the official launching of the resuscitated G-7 Security Joint Operation in September 2022, involving states that are contiguous to the FCT.
Recall, that the joint security operation was established in 2007 as an initiative aimed at protecting lives and property in the six states making up the North Central zone and the FCT.
The states are Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, Benue, Kaduna, Plateau and the FCT.
During the meeting, the security situation was appraised as well as experience sharing on the best possible approach to effectively manage the security challenges among member states and beyond.
Shortly after the administration of the former minister, Dr Aliyu Modibo in 2008, not much was heard about the initiative.
The resuscitation of the G-7 Joint Security Operation is expected to fight crime and criminality in all the nooks and crannies of the members states, especially the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism in the rural areas of territory and states bordering the FCT.
Chairman of the FCT Security Committee, Mallam Muhammad Bello, said community policing initiative of the federal government will be fully encouraged and supported in the FCT.
Bello, who was represented by the Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, said the support the FCTA has extended to the security agencies was yielding results as the crime rate in the territory has considerable dropped in the last one month.
According to the minister, “the security agencies in the FCT have upped their game. People who have no business being here, are being sent away. Some of them come under different guises such as begging, street trading among others. They usually come from neighboring states and are causing security breaches here. That is why we have decided to send them out.”
Bello commended the residents of the FCT for cooperating with the security agencies, which he said has helped in the reduction of crime rate and also contributed to countering the incidences of fake news.
He, therefore, urged residents to always report any suspicious movement to the law enforcement agencies and cross-check information received on the social media platforms in order not to be conveyers of fake news.
Also speaking to journalists after the meeting, FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Sunday Babaji, acknowledged the support of the administration to security agencies to enable them tackle criminal activities.
He attributed the drop in the crime rate in the FCT to constant raids of the flash points, saying with the deployment of additional 89 newly recruited Police constables to the FCT, the command is poised to go after criminals in their hideouts.
Babaji said the revived G-7 Joint Security Operation has received the support of sister security agencies, as well as the Commissioners of Police in the member states, who have collectively committed to flush-out the criminals.
He revealed that the security agencies have gathered useful and actionable intelligence and would soon go after all criminals within its jurisdiction.
