To combat crime in Abuja, Nigeria, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has commissioned the distribution of new vehicles to security agencies.
Speaking at the ceremony in Abuja on Thursday, Wike said the vehicles are to be used for securing and policing our environment.
“Without the provision of the funding in the budget, it would not have been easy for us to purchase these vehicles because the National Assembly places emphasis, just like the President does, on issues of security.
“We are well provided to provide logistics for the security agencies. We have no excuses. We are building roads, yes. When people are not alive, who will use the roads? So people have to be alive before they will use the roads.
“Yes, we are putting back our schools, but people must be alive before they will go to school. So security is key in any government. The government that cannot take care of their people, protect life and property, has no business to be in government.
“So the central thing of government is security. Once people can have confidence and can sleep with their two eyes closed, then you know there are so many other things that will follow. In the last three or four months, we gave out 50 of these vehicles to various security agencies.”
Wike highlighted the provision of an additional 50 brand-new vehicles, emphasising that they were entirely new and not fairly used. He underscored the importance of leaving no room for criminals, advocating for a proactive approach to tackling crime and demonstrating unwavering seriousness in the fight against criminal activities.
He urged the team to ensure there were no gaps in security operations during the CLT period and cautioned against citing a lack of vehicles as an excuse for delayed responses to incidents.
Wike noted that the government has now provided a total of 100 vehicles to security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He added that this initiative has contributed to a heightened sense of security among residents in Abuja.
“I thank the Commissioner of Police who has said that we have given out 50 and now we are giving another 50, making it 100. I don’t know of any state that would have done what we are doing today within this short period. And people can attest to the facts.
“They can feel an improvement in security in Abuja. People can attest to the facts. When we were appointed, when we came here new, it was not that easy. And as people were saying, oh, insecurity has taken over Abuja. I said, calm down, it requires planning. It requires to engage the stakeholders. And we went to all the area councils to engage the stakeholders.”
Wike stated that they had assured the public that noticeable changes would soon take place and expressed gratitude that people were now acknowledging and experiencing those changes, with some even reporting they could sleep peacefully. He emphasised that their efforts would not stop there, noting that the Commissioner of Police had requested additional police divisions. In response, Wike assured a commitment to fulfilling that request.
“As I speak to you now, it’s ongoing, with 12 police divisions in the six area councils. And by the grace of God, before April next year, we believe those police divisions will have been finished and furnished and then equipped and then we’ll hand it over to the Commissioner of Police.
“This is to enhance security in our various areas. When you talk about the rural areas, we are not only going to protect them. We’re also going to protect the city.
“Emphasis is not only one area. Emphasis will be placed on the settler towns and the city because they are all important to us. I thank God we are opening up the roads in the area councils. That will make it easier for the security agencies to operate.
He dismissed rumours about acquiring land to give to his friends and acknowledged the potential for someone in his position to be blackmailed by land grabbers. He also vowed to take action against individuals illegally seizing government land and promised to revoke allocations for property owners who default on ground rent payments.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell Nigerians and residents of Abuja, we are not afraid of blackmail. In fact, you cannot be in this kind of position if you say you will not be blackmailed, particularly as regards this Abuja. “There are so many land grabbers. Some of us have come to put our feet down. Let heaven fall. It is even better that heaven comes down now so that we will not be fasting again to go to heaven.
“We will stop anybody who thinks that you cannot take government land for whatever without formal approval. We will not look at your face. If you like, you can be a civil rights activist. If you like, you can be a television talker. What is wrong is wrong. No amount of blackmail can stop us.”
Watch the full clip below.
