Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has presented 50 operational vehicles fitted with communication gadgets to security agencies to strengthen the fight against insecurity in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The minister, who disclosed this on Friday in Abuja, said the measure was aimed at supporting security agencies with the necessary logistics to enable them to combat crime in Abuja.
He urged residents to support and pray for security agencies, who sometimes lose their lives in the line of duty.
The minister commended the security agencies for reducing the rate of crime in the FCT and promised continued support by providing the tools needed to work for the benefit of residents. However, he urged the security agencies to use the vehicles for the benefit of society and not for private use.
According to him, any leader who cannot secure the lives and properties of citizens has no business in governance.
He said, “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 to protect lives and properties,” the minister said.
“So, it is a priority for President Tinubu that Nigerians are secured. And who are those responsible? It is the security agencies.
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“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 eyes closed.
“If we do not play this role, it will be difficult for our security agencies to be effective and to carry out their function of securing lives and properties.”
“It is not for you to use as private vehicles because it is air-conditioned, then you use it to carry your wives, instead of for the purpose it was meant for,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the security agencies, the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, FCT Command, thanked Wike for the continued support to security agencies in the FCT.
Igweh, who was represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kayode Ojakinwa, assured that the security agencies would make the best use of the vehicles for the security of all.
The FCT Police Command received 24 vehicles, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps received eight, Advance Party/Security Monitoring, FCT Administration received six, and the Department of State Services received five.
Additionally, the Guard Brigade of the Nigerian Army received three vehicles, while the Nigeria Air Force, 005, Abuja, Naval Unit, Nigerian Immigration Service, and National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency each received one.
It was recalled that Nigerian Tribune had reported how the minister had, on April 16, donated 100 motorcycles to security agencies to combat crime in hard-to-reach communities.
