Abuja kidnappings: ‘We’ve arrested some kidnappers informants’ – Wike
By Peregba Jerry
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has announced the arrest of some informants working for kidnappers who had launched daring attacks on some parts of the territory.
Wike, who disclosed this on Friday, January 19, during a town hall meeting with various stakeholders and residents in Gwagwalada town, Gwagwalada Area Council, said kidnappers and their informants, should get ready to face the law.
The minister who spoke in pidgin said: “The president has asked me to come here today. The other day I was in Bwari and next week I will go to Kwali.
“Security is one thing the president promised Nigerians because his job is to protect lives and property. If we can’t protect lives and property, then we have no reason to be in government.
“The president has asked me to assure you that he will not abandon you. So, all these criminals, be ready. Your time is up. You know if I say I will do something, I will do it. And now that I am here today, if you know you are an informant or even one of the criminals, the end has come for you. I and security agencies will follow you to the point that you won’t enter Gwagwalada again.
“Some of the people giving them information, we have arrested them. If they haven’t arrested you, it doesn’t mean that we won’t arrest you tomorrow or even before we leave this place”.
Responding to requests for more police divisions in the council, the minister told the representative of the Police commissioner to work out the modalities.
Wike said: “The CP should work out how we can provide two more police divisions in Gwagwalada. We must do this immediately. It is a security matter and must not be bogged down by bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“The president has given me power to buy more vehicles. By next week, we shall give more vehicles to all police stations. We shall give them modern communication gadgets. The president has said he does not want to hear any story of kidnapping in Abuja again and the security agencies have promised to rise to the occasion. We are very serious. We are not playing. But we need your support too because security agencies cannot do this work alone. They need information. When you give them information, they will work better.”
He again reiterated his earlier advice to residents to stop crowdfunding for ransom, saying such action only serves to fuel more kidnapping.
Wike said: “It is also not good to go on the radio to raise ransoms. It is a way of encouraging criminals. We know it is not easy when your people are in captivity but we have to avoid raising ransom. It fuels the activities of kidnappers.”
The minister also approved in principle a request by the Council chairman for the demolition of some uncompleted structures which he said criminals had been using as their safe havens.
“By Monday, the chairman should bring the letter for me to approve the demolition of uncompleted structures where criminals are hibernating. Don’t behave like civil servants. Today is Friday. Ensure you bring the letter by Monday and I will be happy to approve it”, he stated.
Earlier, chairman of Gwagwalada Area Council, Alhaji Abubakar Jibrin Giri had said the council had not suffered many attacks since last year, but requested for more police divisions.
He said: “From January last year to December, we here in Gwagwalada didn’t have many issues of kidnapping. We used to have before but with the synergy among stakeholders, it was reduced.
“We have some undeveloped structures and I will write to your office for approval because that is where criminals hibernate. I will write to you for approval so that we can clear all those structures because that is where criminals hide and launch attacks on the people.
“We also need more police divisions in the council because we only have two – one in Zuba and one in Gwagwalada town. We want more divisions in the boundary between Gwagwalada (FCT) and Niger state, precisely in Dobi. Also, we need one in Giri village where there is a constant influx of people”.
The council chairman’s requests were also re-echoed by traditional rulers at the event.
They further requested the minister to complete the General Hospital in Gwagwalada and dualize the ever-busy road leading to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
They also urged residents to be vigilant and report any form of negative information to the police.
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