Since Chief Bola Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023, there have been more than 200 recorded violent occurrences in each of the Federal Capital Territory’s six area councils.
87 FCT people perished and 176 were kidnapped during this period. These numbers, which were gathered from Beacon Consulting and multiple media articles on security-related subjects, show an alarming trend.
There has been a noticeable rise in violent incidents in the nation’s capital since August 16, 2023, the day Minister Nyesom Wike assumed office.
The historically crime-free city is now experiencing a rise in criminal activity, including kidnappings.
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Although Abuja was previously believed to be immune to the majority of security concerns, there has recently been an alarming increase in insecurity, which worries authorities and citizens alike.
A 2020 SB Morgen research classified Abuja as the 11th most abduction-prone location. In the last three years, there have been around 50 kidnapping instances involving over 200 victims in Abuja.
Analysing data from January 2021 to June 2023, which shows 40 registered cases with 236 victims, highlights how serious the problem is.
Notably, there were 13 documented kidnapping instances between October and December 2023 that affected 80 victims and were reported from different parts of Abuja, including Gwagwalada, Kuje, Lugbe, Pegi, Abaji, Keti, and Kwali.
Significant economic effects result from this growing insecurity; in 2021 and 2022, confirmed ransom payments amounted to N653.7 million.
These security issues primarily impact residents and companies in the impacted areas, having a substantial impact on day-to-day operations and economic activity.
Among the most well-known events of the last seven months have been the kidnapping of six girls in the Bwari Area Council on January 5, 2024, and the wife and in-law of attorney Cyril Adikwu, who was abducted on January 18, 2024.
Nigerians are urging the Federal Government and security authorities to find a long-term solution to the worsening situation.
To stop kidnappings and banditry, Inspector-General of Police Olukayode Egbetokun established the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) in the Federal Capital Territory.
In order to address and lessen violent acts, the SIS, which is responsible with monitoring and securing border areas, has already started patrols in the FCT and border towns.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, emphasised that the SIS is deployed throughout, paying particular attention to crisis-prone areas and the city’s exits.
In order to capture criminals, SIS agents would enter and exit the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as Commander Bennett Igwe underlined.
The statewide abduction trend, which was previously centred in the North-East and North-West, suggests that urgent action is required.
In addition to its rapid action, the SIS wants to bring peace and harmony back to the FCT through community-oriented policing.
Egbetokun said, “As I stand before you today, I am imbued with a profound sense of duty as we confront the crisis of kidnapping and violent crimes presently afflicting our esteemed nation, particularly in and around the Federal Capital Territory.
“The alarming rise in these criminal activities without equivocation, demands immediate and resolute action from us all. It is thus with a determined spirit that I proudly announce the inauguration of the Special Intervention Squad.
“Conceived as an elite unit of the Nigeria Police Force, the SIS composed of specially trained, well equipped and highly mobile police officers and possesses the capacity for rapid intervention and effective containment of significant security breaches, such as those currently threatening the suburb of the FCT and creating panic generally.
“This initiative is not just born out of necessity, but out of foresight, diligent planning and commitment to enhancing the already robust security architecture of our nation’s capital.”
In response to recent insurgent attacks, Special Intervention Squad (SIS) agents visited many towns and hamlets in the Bwari neighbourhood of Abuja.
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When conducting the operation, the police used buses, a helicopter, armoured personnel carriers, and patrol cars to show off their presence while being accompanied by Newsmen.
The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) declared towards the end of 2023 that 40,000 specially trained members of the Special Intervention Squad would be deployed.
The SIS’s operational activities started with the initial deployment, which covered Katsina and nine other states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
As part of the SIS’s strategic planning, the commanders who would be in charge of the squad received training in Mexico.
After taking power in June, Egbetokun declared the creation of the SIS. The squad’s goal is to quickly respond to significant security situations. It is characterised as a standby team of professionally trained cops.
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This programme is in line with the administration’s resolve to address the threat posed by violent crime.
In a recent visit to Owerri, the capital of Imo State, the Inspector General (IG) presented the SIS’s expansion plans. The 10 pilot states, which were chosen in accordance with a recent evaluation of violent crime in all 36 states as well as the Federal Capital Territory, would be followed by the deployment to the remaining 27 states.
The Force spokeswoman, Adejobi, stressed that the SIS will function differently from the now-defunct Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad, which was notorious for violating human rights. The Police Mobile Force will not be used to escort operations by its operatives.
The commissioners of police in each state would oversee the squad’s commanders’ operations.
Egbetokun declared in June that Police Mobile Force members would no longer be providing VIP escort and protection services.
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The goal of this decision, which was debated at the Force Headquarters with tactical commanders and squadron leaders, was to reestablish the police force’s place in the nation’s internal security framework.
Adejobi addressed misunderstandings regarding the pullout instruction by emphasising that the NPF has no intention of depriving legitimately entitled VIPs of their police escorts.
A move like this was considered dangerous and ineffective, highlighting the dedication to preserving VIP protection details while changing the function of the Police Mobile Force.
He said, “Get the message right: We understand that there has been some misunderstanding regarding the directive of IGP Olukayode Egbetokun about withdrawing members of the Police Mobile Force unit from specialised escort and services for VIPs. It’s crucial to provide clarifications to address this.
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“First and foremost, let us be clear: at no point did the Force intend to strip VIPs (who are legally and statutorily entitled to Police escorts) of their security details. Doing so would be unsafe and counterproductive. Instead, the objective is to reassign the withdrawn PMF personnel to the recently established Special Intervention Squad.”
In the meantime, the Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the direction of Minister Nyesom Wike, has directed the establishment of two more divisional police stations in the Gwagwalada community.
In addition, the minister declared that police stations throughout the six region municipalities will receive functioning cars and communication devices as of next week. The objective of this programme is to enhance the capacity of security services functioning within the region.
At the Gwagwalada Area Council on Friday, at the second security town hall meeting, Wike discussed these events.
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Additionally, he disclosed that a few informants of kidnappers had been captured and declared that the moment had come to rid Gwagwalada of criminal activity.
He said, “Security is one thing the President has said he will give Nigerians, because his job is to make sure that he protects lives and property. If we cannot protect lives and property, then our being in government has no meaning. Criminals should get ready, their time has come.
“You all know that if I say something, I will do it. And as I have come here today, if you know you are one of the informants to these criminals, or you are one of the criminals too, your time has come. I and the security agencies will pursue you until you will not come near Gwagwalada again.”
In a previous speech, Gwagwalada Area Council Chairman Abubakar Giri argued in favour of creating two police divisions in Dobi and Giri to strengthen the current counterinsurgency activities.
The Agumo of Gwagwalada, Muhammadu Magaji, also pushed for the provision of a new patrol van to aid the regional law enforcement agencies.
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Human rights advocate Deji Adeyanju, who organised Concerned Nigerians, blamed the current level of unrest in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the eviction of people—including scavengers—and the destruction of shanties, which provided employment for marginalised people.
Adeyanju went on to denounce the FCT minister for the growing level of unrest in Abuja.
He highlighted how the poor’s terrible situation—along with their marginalisation and neglect—has forced them to turn to illegal activity, including kidnapping, in order to survive.
“Rather than adequately relocating these individuals and providing them with alternative means of sustenance, the minister has callously sent them to the streets, exacerbating the desperation and criminal activities in the city,” he said.
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