The Department of Security Services, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says the territory has recorded improved security within one year of President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The Director of the department, Adamu Gwary, a Fellow of Defence College, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
Gwary told NAN while assessing the performance of the Tinubu-led administration on security in the FCT, that the impact was impressive, considering the reduced incidents of security breaches.
According to him, the security situation has significantly improved since Nyesom Wike assumed office as the FCT Minister in August 2023.
“We receive not only a situational report from security agencies but from members of the public.
“In the past, it used to be a daily affair where you will hear there are these issues, there are those issues, here and there, within the city, the environs, and the suburbs of the FCT.
“But today, sometimes a whole week will pass without any report.
“We have an interface with traditional rulers, who give us intelligence reports, which we process and forward to responsible security agencies, but this has really died down.
“Also, if you recall, the issue of theft of manhood was at its peak at the commencement of the Tinubu-led Administration, but that has been completely addressed.
“This is not to say that we are there, but the improvement is very visible in terms of the reduced number of reported cases of criminal activities.”
He attributed the successes to the proactiveness of the FCT minister through intensive community engagement and the provision of logistics and equipment support to security agencies.
He recalled that Wike had organised town hall meetings across the six Area Councils of the FCT, where he and security agencies interacted with community members on their active participation in addressing insecurity.
“The minister had equally provided vehicles to traditional rulers across the FCT to enable them to move around their domain and mobilise their subjects to support ongoing security efforts.
“This is intending to take security to the doorsteps of the residents and assure them of the FCT Administration’s readiness to support security agencies to do their work.
“These have really paid off,” he noted.
Gwary added that the minister equally set up security task forces to address heinous crimes, like kidnapping the dreaded one-chance criminal activities.
On logistics support to security agencies, the director said that the FCT minister, under Tinubu-led administration, had procured and distributed motorcycles to security agencies, including vigilance groups to improve security in rural communities.
He added that the FCT Administration had equally procured patrol vehicles, fitted with modern communication gadgets including combat protective gears.
“Plans have also been concluded to procure surveillance drones and other equipment to enhance surveillance and operation of security agencies in the city.
“These are all geared towards ensuring zero tolerance to heinous crime within the city centre and the suburb, which is plagued with the issue of kidnapping and the rest,” he said.
The director described security as everybody’s business and called on the resident to cooperate with security agencies in sharing timely and accurate information.
“See something, say something and we will do something,” he added.
Edward Orim, Principal Consultant Edgard Consulting, a private security firm, equally said that Wike, under the Tinubu’s government had made significant headway in addressing insecurity in the FCT.
Orim, who is also the Chairman of ASIS International, Chapter 273, Abuja, an international security organisation, particularly lauded the current government for curbing the trend of kidnapping in the territory.
“From my own assessment, I think the current administration has done very well,” he said.
He, however, advised the FCT Administration to do more in strengthening community policing, where everybody would be involved in assisting the police with critical information, including logistics where necessary.
“Community policing is very critical to addressing insecurity; know your neighbour and give information out to the police to help them do their job.
“There should be more awareness on the residents to be aware of their surroundings, security threats and work with security agencies to address them,” he stated.