Category: Abuja Review

In order to ensure effective handling of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Abiodun Essiet Initiative for Girls (AEIG), has organised a one-day intensive training  for healthcare workers and members of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Abuja.

 In particular, at the training with the theme: “Strengthening the capacity of FCT PHCs on SGBV case management and access to efficient healthcare service delivery,” had trainees drawn from across Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Bwari. Also, the participants were introduced to methodology of handling issues of sexual and gender-based violence in their areas, as they are the frontline workers and people that should be sensitised on the menace. Because they have daily interactions with cases, the NGO said participants need to understand how to manage SGBV as leaders.

 It was gathered that the NGO had outlined three series of training for 20 PHC workers each from the six Area Councils, in addition to members of CDC, who are given the mandate to manage healthcare facilities in their communities. AEIG Founder, Abiodun Essiet, explained that the training will help to improve their way of managing cases of SGBV and services of PHCs in the FCT. Abiodun noted that they were taught how to do proper management and documentation of cases of SGBV, so as not to tamper with evidence, which can be used for prosecution.

 She said: “The healthcare workers are front liners that manage SGBV cases and other people interact to share ideas. So it is important that we re-orientate them about their positions and how to handle cases of SGBV. Our project goal is to strengthen the traditional justice system, to effectively combat SGBV, and we have done that across the Area Councils last year, so what we are doing now is to train the healthcare workers, who will be interfacing with CDC members.

 “These are issues of paramount concern to communities, where most of the original inhabitants of the FCT, as it is only the PHCs that they can access care. Let’s work together to see how we can promote healthcare facilities, so that the original inhabitants will be better served.”

 On his part, one of the participants, Philemon Garba, said the training is a welcome idea as in the society today, a lot of things are happening because of lack of knowledge about the menace. Garba noted that if only the people are enlightened on the issues, many of them will not fall victim. “The training is a welcome idea, so when we go back to our communities, we will be able to let them know, by trying to bring awareness to them,” he added.

Like other communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ushafa has known peace for years until recently when residents can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed – no thanks to incessant killing and kidnapping of residents that are attracting millions as ransom. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports that many residents are unable to go about their normal daily activities because of insecurity crisis in the troubled community.

The visit of the former United States President Bill Clinton to Ushafa, a community in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja 23 years ago, made the community popular. The Ushafa is known for its fine pottery and people can still recall the jubilation in 2000 when Clinton visited the area alongside then Nigeria’s President, Olusegun Obasanjo.

Thousands of Nigerians turned out to sing, dance, clap and cheer the U.S. President, Clinton that Sunday. Clinton, with his daughter Chelsea, spent that Sunday morning in the village of Ushafa, where locals performed traditional dances and demonstrated their pot-making techniques. The President impressed the crowd in the market square when he replaced his sports jacket with a traditional robe.

The robe was given to President Clinton by the chief of the village. In return, President Clinton thanked the people for their warm welcome and assured them of America’s support to build the country’s new democracy. Now, this community is going through troubled times due to insecurity.

Ushafa, like other communities in the FCT, has known peace for years until recently when residents can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed. This has further degenerated into killing and kidnapping residents, where a ransom is paid in millions. Many could no longer go about their normal daily activities because of insecurity. As a result of the sad development, concerned Abuja traditional and political leaders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recently decried the high level of insecurity, especially kidnapping and robbery, within the country’s capital.

The leaders observed that kidnapping and robbery have doubled in the FCT in recent times. They called for a change in the strategies deployed to tackle insecurity. Leading the campaign for a thorough review of the strategies used in the war against insecurity, the Chairman of the FCT Traditional Rulers Council and the Onah of Abaji, Alhaji Adamu Baba-Yunusa urged the ruling elite to employ broad-based policies that will address rising unemployment, youth restiveness, hunger and the general discontent among the country’s population.

 The monarch regretted that kidnappers now move from house to house, especially in Abaji and other area councils such as Kuje, Kwali and Bwari to abduct people for ransom without resistance or counter-measures by security personnel. He said residents are gradually deserting their homes as a result of the menace. Alhaji Yunusa said these while interacting with reporters at his palace in Abaji. He stated that the ruling class can reduce and even stop insecurity when the right attitude and political will are mustered to effectively engage the youth and the larger population in frequent dialogue.

 “We pray to Almighty Allah to bring to an end insecurity which is the biggest challenge in the country now.  We cannot sleep again here in Abaji. We hope that the President will do more and that with the intervention of Allah, the problem will be over. Members of the community vanguards and vigilante groups should unite, co-operate and collaborate with other security agencies to enable them to do their work in the proper manner to secure the areas for effective results,” he said.

 Yunusa appealed to the populace to be patient with leaders and pray for peace and development in the country. Residents of Ushafa who narrated their ordeals to our correspondent said they now struggle to get secured. A civil servant, Mr Ibrahim Ahmed said most people, especially youths, also move around at night to help security operatives. The situation, he said, is terrible. He called for a drastic solution before things get out of hand.

 He said the epileptic electricity supply in the area is also contributing to the insecurity, especially at night. Ahmed said power had become a serious challenge amid the growing insecurity in Nigeria. Ahmed said: “We have a whistle to alert ourselves when the kidnappers or robbers come. We rarely have light these days. For the past month, we have not had light for up to five hours a day. In the midst of insecurity, we need light to beef up security.”

Read Also: Court remands man over allegedly kidnapping minor

 A businesswoman in the area, Mrs Mary Chukwu also narrated how kidnappers stormed their home in the middle of the night, abducted a man and made an effort to break into other people’s flats. Chukwu said it took the intervention of God for the dare-devil armed men not to break into her apartment. She stated that the kidnappers left with her neighbour in one of the apartments, blowing up some other apartments in futility as they didn’t succeed in taking more than one person.

 Samuel, a student who did not want to mention his surname, lamented the non-presence of enough security operatives. He said the criminals operate better under the cover of darkness. Narrating how they stormed his area, Samuel said: “These criminals stormed our area in the dead of the night. They shot at irregular intervals into the air. Honestly, they came armed with sophisticated weapons.

 The entire area was vibrating due to the heavy sound of gunshots. No single intervention from security operatives until they left after they had finished their operation. “In the end, they left with no fewer than three of my neighbours, and not less than N12 million was paid to secure their release. We need serious security in our area. We need a police station. And police response at such a time has to be swift. God forbid that we experience such an incident again. The majority of our people are planning to relocate because of the incidence of kidnapping. If there is the deployment of more policemen, there could be some respite.”

 The most recent incident happened on Wednesday last week in the Ushafa community where kidnappers killed one Benjamin Ogundare and kidnapped two others identified as Goodluck Ogundare and Janet Ogundare. Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen attacked an apartment behind the Local Government Education Authority Primary School close to Going-Park, shooting intermittently between 1:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. that day. Sources said the deceased, Ogundare, struggled with the gunmen before he was killed, and his relative abducted.

 The FCT Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Josephine Adeh, who confirmed the incident said: “On Wednesday, January 11, at 06:00 a.m, the Police Control Room received a distress call that armed hoodlums stormed Ushafa Village via the Bwari Area Council of the FCT. The information was relayed to the Bwari Divisional Police Headquarters and other security apparatus of the Command around the area. Tactical and intelligence assets were mobilised to the scene.

 “Upon sighting the officers, the hoodlums ran away. This was after they had shot one Benjamin Ogundare and abducted the duo of Goodluck Ogundare and Janet Ogundare. The victim was rushed to the hospital where a doctor confirmed him dead. A rescue mission has been launched to arrest the hoodlums while the investigation continues.” Josephine said the command works round the clock to ensure that Abuja and its environs are safe. 

Since the United States, British, Australian and Canadian embassies in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) issued terror alerts last week, residents have been apprehensive despite the authority’s reassurance of the safety of lives and property. They have remained on guard; with some shops closing temporarily as a precaution. GBENGA OMOKHUNU reports

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has been under tension following some security reports.

 First, those staying at Trademore Estate were thrown into confusion when security operatives, with foreign support, stormed the estate and nabbed terror suspects.

 The raid, which occurred on Monday last week, preceded the terror alert issued by the United States and the United Kingdom Embassies on Tuesday last week.

 Abuja, the capital, remained on guard, with some shops closing temporarily as a precaution.

 The Australian and Canadian embassies in the city were the latest to issue terror warnings; U.S. and British embassies on Sunday had told their citizens to be on alert and avoid crowds across Nigeria but especially in Abuja.

 The foreign missions said the government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, bars and hotels were among possible terrorist targets.

 The U.S. State Department ordered family members of the U.S. employees to leave the Nigerian capital.

 Security guards on Friday patrolled near a huge shopping complex in Abuja’s Jabi District. The complex closed on Thursday because of security threats.

Workers and shoppers were not allowed into the premises, and the street was cordoned off.

 The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh said authorities were stepping up security measures.

 “We’re doing all we can. We’ve strengthened our security, even though there’s no cause for concern, no cause for alarm. We don’t have any threat in our country,” she said.

 Concerns about terror attacks have been growing in Nigeria. Militant groups have been pushing their operations beyond bases where they have been active for years.

 In June, authorities blamed Islamic State West Africa Province for a church attack in Southwest during which 40 worshippers were killed.

 One month later, the group claimed responsibility for attacking a correctional facility in Abuja and freeing hundreds of inmates. While hundreds of the escapees have been rearrested, many others remain at large, including more than 60 high-profile terror suspects.

 An eyewitness who spoke to our correspondent on the Trademore saga said the incident happened in the afternoon around 3:00 p.m. at the Trademore Estate Lugbe along Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Expressway, Airport Road Abuja.

 Some reports cited the Department of State Security (DSS) as the Nigerian security agency involved in the operation but the DSS has denied involvement in the operation.

 Another eyewitness said two persons were arrested and whisked away from their homes located on Isikwuato Street.

A resident, who spoke to our correspondent in confidence, said the incident happened in front of his house, where the DSS operatives numbering over 20 asked him to go inside his house and never to come out.

 “This guy they arrested has been under surveillance, but they couldn’t. So, on that day, they arrested him.

 “They pulled him out of his car, put him in their car and took him to his house not too far from there. They searched his house. They took him alongside his brother. I think the DSS has been monitoring their calls before the arrest. No civilian was actually allowed to come closer to the scene of the incident.

 “After searching his home, the DSS officers went away with some documents, including identity cards,” the eyewitness said.

 The detail of items recovered from the scene could not be immediately ascertained.

 Another resident of the estate said: “They stormed the house after cordoning off the area. It was a sting operation that left no room for escape for the suspect.

 “We were already inside the house not knowing that there was an incident of that magnitude going on right close to our house. We only got to know when a neighbour called to say that security had condoned off access roads leading to our street.

 “It’s no longer news that there was a high-powered sting operation in Phase 3.”

In an unsigned message shared on the WhatsApp platform of the estate, it was alleged that the operation, which was conducted in the afternoon around the Phase 3 section of the estate, culminated in a complete shutdown of the estate.

 The message, which did not state details of the reason(s) behind the operation, however, linked it to an alleged activity of terrorists in the estate.

 Residents were advised to remain calm while law enforcement agents carry out further investigations.

 Also, another resident of the estate, who spoke to The Nation in confidence, said the leadership of the estate had advised residents not to speak further on the issue as the government was already handling the situation. He noted that only security agents involved in the operation had evidence of what was uncovered.

 Since the incident and terror alert, recreation centres have been witnessing a low turnout of people.

 Some of the residents refused to speak on the issue.

 To further battle insecurity and following the terror alert which rattled Abuja residents, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) procured and distributed 60 operational vehicles to security agencies in the Territory to secure lives and property in Abuja.

 The benefiting security agencies included the police, armed forces, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other paramilitary organisations, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA).

 In addition to the vehicles, state-of-the-art security equipment will be installed in the vehicles, which will be centrally controlled to ensure efficient performance. 

At a brief handover ceremony of the operational vehicles last week, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello said the intervention was to help improve the capacity of security agencies in the FCT, to optimally discharge their duties in the Territory.

 Bello added that “each of the vehicles is backed by a three-year maintenance contract.

 “I call on the beneficiaries of these vehicles to use them judiciously and also produce them for servicing, according to a schedule to be worked out,” he said.

 He reiterated that the FCT remains safe and our confidence in the ability of the security agencies to provide adequate security has not wavered. He pledged the FCTA’s continuous support to them in the discharge of their responsibilities.

 “What we are doing at the moment is to showcase the FCTA’s contribution to the Federal Government’s efforts. We expect that these vehicles and other security equipment will be put to effective use.

“The Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has put in place several measures to confront current security challenges and to contain the threats posed by criminals in all forms and guises.

 “Through the efforts of our security agencies, many potentially devastating criminal acts have been prevented. In fact, I am bold to say that for every crime committed, several others were nipped in the bud.

 “Residents, however, also have roles to play in this collective fight against crime and criminality by promptly reporting to the relevant security agencies any suspicious individual or situation. It is only by doing this that the fight against crime can truly be won,” he said.

 The minister also said the FCTA Security Council has approved the disbursement of N500 million to six Area Councils, for the commencement of the community policing scheme in the Territory.

 The Minister of State for the FCT, Dr Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu noted that the procurement of the 60 units of operational vehicles fitted with communication gadgets for the security agencies will further enhance the security architecture of the Territory.

 Aliyu said: “This effort by the FCT Administration is also in line with “Section 14(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which states that ‘the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of the government.’ Therefore, the FCT Administration places priority on the safety and security of the entire.”

 The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Kayode Egbetokun, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman, assured that the police and other benefiting agencies will ensure the judicious use of the vehicles.

 The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the FCT, Senator Smart Adeyemi, decried that prevailing insecurity has overshadowed the laudable infrastructural provision in the Territory.

 Adeyemi, however, commended the FCTA for the provision of workable operational vehicles, to boost the security of lives and property.

 The Jabi Lake mail which was earlier shut down due to the terror alert has been reopened for business activities, while Julius Berger shut operations at the weekend have also reopened.

 Currently, security operatives have commenced stop-and-search operations, especially at night in every nook and cranny of the country’s capital to forestall any attack on any part of the city while residents have also been advised to take adequate precautions while going about their normal business activities.

QUOTE

Through the efforts of our security agencies, many potentially devastating criminal acts have been prevented. Residents also have roles to play in this collective fight against crime and criminality by promptly reporting to the relevant security agencies any suspicious individual or situation. It is only by doing this that the fight against crime can truly be won