The fight against insecurity and other forms of crimes in the Federal Capital Territory got a boost over the weekend, when the FCT Administration donated operational vehicles to security agencies in the FCT.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Friday, presented 50 operational vehicles with communication gadgets to the Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Immigration, Department of State Services, Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Airforce, Naval Unit, NDLEA, and Advance Party/Security Monitoring FCT.
Wike, while handing over the vehicles to the security agencies in Abuja, said the measure was to support them with the needed logistics to enable them combat crime in the FCT.
A breakdown of the distribution shows that while the FCT Police Command got 24 Hilux trucks, the NSCDC got eight, Advance Part got six, and the DSS got five.
Also, the Guard Brigade of the Nigerian Army received three vehicles, while the Nigeria Air Force, 5, Abuja, Naval Unit, Nigerian Immigration Service, and National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency all received one vehicle each.
The minister who noted that his administration was looking beyond the provision of infrastructure noted that the FCTA was also taking issues of security very strongly.
“We are no longer talking about infrastructure; we are no longer talking about taking development to the area councils; we are now talking about a key factor, a key agenda in the renewed hope mantra, and that has to do with security.
“We are not just concentrating on infrastructure; we are not only concentrating on bringing development to the hinterland; we are also concentrating on providing security in order to protect lives and property,” the minister said.
According to him, one of the key priorities of the President Bola Tinubu’s government was the security of lives and property, stressing that any leader who cannot secure the lives and properties of citizens has no business in governance.
“For us as a government, it is not the responsibility of Mr President to go and identify where the criminals are; it is not my responsibility or the minister of state’s responsibility to go and engage criminals.
“It is our responsibility to provide the tools for the security agencies to confront these criminals and make sure we sleep with our two eyes closed. If we do not play this role, it will be difficult for our security agencies to be effective and to be able to carry out this function of securing lives and properties.”
He urged residents to support and pray for security agencies, who sometimes lose their lives in the line of duty.
Earlier, the director of security in the FCTA, Adamu Gwary, said that the operational vehicles would empower and enhance the capacity of security agencies to fight crimes and criminality, respond promptly to distress situations and rise to the security challenges confronting the territory.
“However, crime prevention is the responsibility of all, and as such, all hands must remain on deck to ensure safety and security of all,” he said.
