Residents of Kubwa satellite town in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the leadership of the council to deploy Policemen at various traffic light junctions in the satellite town, in order to enforce obedience of traffic rules and the control of the light.
Speaking with Abuja Review, some residents who expressed gratitude to the FCT administration for mounting the traffic lights on major junctions in the town, said that the light would have served it purpose of effectively controlling accidents, if motorists religiously obey the light.
One of the residents, Mr. Solomon Dede explained that most of the motorists do not obey the traffic light when they get to the junctions, that such attitude has led to numerous accidents in the town.
“I have witnessed a situation here, where an okada man who obeyed the traffic light was about to cross one junction to another, in the process of doing that, he did not notice an on coming vehicle who did not obey the traffic light, that was how they collided and the okada man broke his legs in the process.
“Another one happened some time ago, when an okada man failed to obey the traffic light and had a collision with another okada man. The accident was fatal, because both of them were on high speed to beat the traffic light. These reckless drivers are not making the light to serve it purposes,” he said.
Another resident, Mrs. Cynthis Onukogu said that the best way to make motorists in the town to obey the traffic rules is to place Police on each traffic light, so as to make sure that the motorists obey the rules.
“Nigerians need strong hands some times to make them do what is right. I know that if our motorists see Policemen by traffic light, they will control themselves and obey traffic rules. Because, the way they beat traffic lights, it is more dangerous than when there were no traffic lights. The authority in charge should help us,” she said.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCDB) has expressed worries over the low routine immunisation in Kwali area council of the FCT.
The Executive Secretary of FCT PHCDB, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, who expressed this worries at the flagging off of Routine Immunization Exercise at Dafa Village in Kwali said that the board realized that in FCT, particularly in Kwali area council, the level of routine immunization is very low and they are worried that it may lead to outbreak if immunization is not carried out.
Mohammed said that Dafa ward in Kwali has been the lowest level of routine immunisation in the FCT, saying that the ward is one of the highest risk in the whole of the FCT, that was why they decided that since there is an area where it is very low, it can bring about outbreak of polio, so they decided to carry out immunisation in the entire FCT.
According to the Executive Secretary, the immunization will be for four days, from Saturday to Tuesday and they are going to start again on July 25 and the other one on August 25, saying that this is to make sure that they mop up everywhere in the FCT.
“This is also because, we have 15,000 internally displaced persons in the FCT and this is a rainy season and most rural communities are very dirty. That is why we are carrying out the immunisation, to mop up the virus, so that we will not have outbreak again.
“The FCT is the highest risk in the country now, because many people are coming to the city because of security and business reasons. They are coming with their children and we are not sure of their status, that is why we are immunizing all our communities and also enlightening them on routine immunization and the need for cultivating clean environment,” he said.
The Vice Chairman of Kwali, Mr. Garba Ibrahim, who expressed gratitude to the FCT PHCDB for the steps taken to fight out polio in the council, said that the council will do everything possible to ensure that they maintain the high standard of polio free society and that they are going to support the government of the FCT to completely wipe out polio from the FCT.
There is no doubt that Nigerians now have the leaders they need.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who were elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have not only started moves that will, in the long run, benefit the masses, but they have started denying themselves some rights and privileges that go with their new offices, all for the sake of the people.
In the past two weeks alone, they have taken two actions that no past leader has ever taken under their tenures since independence.
Proving that he is a true and real patriot who has the interest of the masses at heart, Buhari turned down N400m proposal for the purchase of five new armoured Mercedes Benz S-600 (V222) cars for his use as the President and Commander-in-Chief.
While other past leaders did not fail to jump at such opportunities, Buhari decided to continue to use some of the vehicles used by former President Goodluck Jonathan under the last administration.
Buhari, who stopped the proposal for the purchase of the new cars brought before him by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi, had declared that there was no need for the new cars since the ones he inherited from former President Jonathan were good enough for him.
“I don’t need any new cars. The ones I’m using now are just fine,” the President was quoted as saying.
The money that would be saved by this action alone could be channelled to other projects that will benefit the nation.
The stopping of the purchase of the new cars have also proved critics wrong who thought Buhari was pretending when he declined to ride in a Limousine car offered him by the Nigeria Embassy in London when he visited as a President-elect.
They had felt then that the lifestyle of President Buhari will change and that he will no longer consider the interest of the masses as soon as he was inaugurated as President of Nigeria.
But the President has proved to them that it is not easy for a leopard to change its skin.
As if that was not enough to prove to the doubting Thomases on the real intention of the new administration to remain on the side of the masses, Buhari and Osinbajo also announced reduction of their salaries by 50%.
Stressing that the two leaders will not go back on their decision, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, in a statement said the decision for immediate implementation of the pay cut has already been conveyed to the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Mr. Nebolisa Emodi.
“I write to forward the completed IPPIS registration form of Mr. President and to draw your kind attention to Mr. President’s directive that only 50% of his salary be paid to him,” Mr. Emodi’s letter with reference number PRES/81/SGF/17 had stated
The latest decision has also not stopped doubting The masses from trying to pick holes in the genuineness of the action.
But leaving no one in doubt on the direction of the new government while speaking with State House correspondents last Tuesday, the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu said: “We are pro-people, we are progressives. We have had a conservative government in the last 16 years. This is progressives party, just coming barely 30 days. We understand the hope of Nigerians and we respect that hope.
“We understand the expectation of Nigerians. We believe in that expectation and in our promise of prosperity to come. We will not change that,” he stated.
Restructuring begins
The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari can be said to have last week commenced reforms and restructuring that will squarely tackle insecurity and economic woes that have bedeviled the country over the years.
The new administration, which was perceived in some quarters to be too slow since May 29 inauguration ceremony, carried out its highest and massive changes last week.
Buhari started by recalling all non-career Nigerian ambassadors abroad.
After weeks of speculation, the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, last week Monday also sacked the service chiefs and immediately announced their replacement.
Even though no reason was given for their sack, the changes are expected to add impetus to the fight against the terrorists, Boko Haram and ensure security of all territories of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
While Nigerians would have thought that the President was done with such sacks for the week and will retire to celebrate Eid-el-Fitri Sallah by mid-week, he struck again last Thursday evening.
Two separate statements were issued on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in quick succession.
The first statement announced the termination of Mr. Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Buhari, in the second statement, approved the dissolution of the Governing Boards of Federal Parastatals, Agencies and Institutions with effect from Thursday, July 16, 2015.
Before last week, he had sacked the Director General of Department of State Security (DSS), Ita Ekpeyoung and replaced him.
Since the restructuring has commenced in earnest, it is hoped that critics will no longer be in doubt as to the seriousness and intentions of the government.
As part of activities to mark the 2015 World Population Day, the National Population Commission (NPC) has donated relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kuje area council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The items were delivered to the IDPs by a delegation from the commission led by the FCT Commissioner for Population, Dr. Daniel Kwali.
Kwali who represented the NPC Chairman, Chief Eze Duruiheoma, said the visit was part of the commission’s mandate which is to monitor population growth, dispersal and migration of population within the country.
He said “when we heard about this camp and other camps in the country, we decided to visit the today to hear from them on the challenges that daily confront them and their.”
Kwali further stated that the way forward is to plan a long term strategy for the IDPs to go back to their homes once the battle of insurgency is over, which he said that the federal government is already handling.
He however noted that the IDPs are not sure when the insurgency will be over and when they will feel secure to go back home, hence the need for basic amenities in the camp for the interim period.
The chairman of the camp, Sunday Moses, expressed gratitude to NPC for the gesture while calling for more support from government.attacks are still going on so we do not know when we will be going back,” he said.
Over a year after, about 50 shop owners in the demolished Dutsen Alhaji market in Bwari Council Area are still at loggerheads with authorities of the council, who inaugurated the rebuilt facility without consulting the traders and despite a restraining court order. Eric Ikhilae reports
It should be one of the most hotly contested trading centres in town. OnJune 16, the management of the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) rolled out the drums to celebrate the successful completion of the remodelled Dutsen Alhaji Market located within the Dutsen Alhaji community of the council.
Gaily-dressed guests, among who Kogi State’s former governor, Abubakar Audu, senior officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), the Bwari Area Council Chairman, Peter Yohanna Ushafa sat comfortably under a large tent awaiting the event of the day – commissioning of the reconstructed market, now named after the immediate past Minister of State for the FCT, Jumoke Akinjide.
Shortly after the ceremonial cutting of the tape, signifying the project’s takeoff, Ushafa regaled guest with the rationale for the project and how it will improve the council’s economy, to which everyone clapped.
But, while the council chairman and his quests went about the commissioning of the market, a group of placard-bearing protesters was at a distance with armed security men. They included men of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
•The protesting traders
The protesters were some shop owners in the demolished market and their family members and friends, who felt it was an affront on the principle of rule of law and the nation’s court system for the management of the Bwari Council to commission the market despite an interlocutory order made on December 5, 2014 by Justice O. C. Agbaza of High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi, restraining the council from engaging in further development works pending the determination of the suit filed by the aggrieved shop owners.
In the suit marked FCT/HC/CV/113/2014 it is the contention of the about 50 shop owners, led by David Okoawo, having been duly allocated land in the market, which they developed into shops, it was wrong for the Bwari council’s management to unilaterally demolish their shops and rebuilt them without regard for their interests.
The shop owners, who exhibited copies of the allocation letters, issued to them by the Chairman of the Bwari Council, stated that by the terms of the allocation, they were required to develop the land space located to them into shops, which they will occupy for 15 years, but subject to payment of yearly rent to the Council.
They said they have kept to the terms of the allocation by developing the land into shops and paying annual rents, but were yet to exhaust the 15-year period when the Bwari Council unilaterally terminated their agreement by demolishing the market on August 7, 2014 without notifying them or including them in its new arrangement.
“I am the owner of Shop No. 43 in Dutsen-Alhaji market by virtue of a letter of allocation of open space for building a shop at Dutsen-Alhaji market, issued to me by the Bwari Area Council on March 15, 2012. “The purpose of allocating the open space to me was for the purpose of building a shop which I will own for 15 years in accordance with the terms and conditions as contained in the allocation letter, commencing from March 15, 2012 and will expire by March 14, 2027.
“My ownership of shop No. 43 in Dutsen–Alhaji market was still subsisting when the defendants (the Chairman, Bwari Area Council and the Bwari Area Council) entered the market and demolished it on August 17, 2014 in violation of the terms and conditions of the allocation letter,” one of the aggrieved shop owners, Mrs. Felicia Ogedegbe, said.
Her story is the same with that of the other 49 shop owners who suffered similar fate and are now seeking the intervention of the court in the suit filed through their lawyer, Samuel Ogala of Falana and Falana’s Chambers.
They want the court to declare, among others, that their allocation still subsist and that the demolition of the market by the defendants violated the terms and conditions of the allocation. They seek an order directing the defendants to reinstate them to their shops; an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants and their agents or anybody claiming title from the defendants, from taking over the market space earlier allocated to the plaintiffs and re-developing it.
The plaintiffs also seek an order directing the defendants to pay to each of them N2.7million as compensatory damages for the demolition of their shops and destruction of their property; N5m each as compensatory damages for breach of the terms and condition of the allocation agreement and N5m as cost of legal fees.
However, following complaint by the plaintiffs, to the effect that despite being served with court documents in relation to the case, the Bwari Council and its appointed property developing firm, Eflaye Nigeria Limited, were proceeding with reconstruction works in the market, the trial judge, Justice Agbaza, on December 5, 2014 granted the plaintiffs application for interlocutory injunction and ordered the defendants and their agents to stop further development works in the market.
But, despite the order of December 5, the defendants and their agents proceeded with their development works in the market, a development which informed the plaintiffs’ decision to commence committal proceedings against the defendants.
On May 27, the court took arguments from parties in respect of the contempt proceedings, with the plaintiffs’ lawyer insisting that the defendants are in contempt of court and should be penalised accordingly.
The defendants, through their lawyer, Martina Dajo, have denied any wrongdoing. They queried the competence of the suit and the court’s jurisdiction to hear it on the grounds that they were not issued the required pre-action notice as provided in Section 124 of the Local Government Act of 1976, and that the suit disclosed no reasonable cause of action against them.
Although the plaintiffs exhibited an evidence an evidence of service of the court’s interlocutory order of December 5, 2014 on the defendants, as shown in a Form 3 duly endorsed by a senior bailiff of the court on December 8, 2014 indicating service of copies of enrolment order and hearing notices on the defendants on December 8, 2014, the defendants denied service.
The defendants faulted the plaintiffs’ claim that their rights to demolished shops, which they built and were to own for 15 years based on the terms of a letters of allocation issued by the Bwari Council on the ground that under the Land Use Act, Area Councils in the FCT do not own land and cannot legitimately allocate any.
Although they did not deny issuing the allocation letters to the shop owners and that they have been collecting annual rents on the allocated land from the shop owners, the defendants argued that it was only the FCT Minister who can legitimately allocate land within the FCT.
“The plaintiffs’ root of title is the offer of allocation they attached in their claim which by law, does not give them the locus standi to approach the court and make demands of ownership of land as the defendants are, byS laws of the FCT, not empowered to grant such allocation.
“This is not tenable and it is contrary to the explicit provision of the law establishing the FCT. It is therefore our contention that they (the plaintiffs) have no subsisting legal right in the subject matter of thus suit.
“A thorough perusal of the plaintiffs’ averment reveals that the parcel of land in dispute was not a subject of allocation by the Minister of the FCT, who enjoys the sole statutory favour of vesting ownership of land in the FCT on the citizenry upon application. The question seeking for answer is: Where lies the plaintiffs’ locus to institute this action against the defendants? Apparently, none,” Dajo said in his notice of preliminary objection.
The defendants urged the court to dismiss the suit.
But, in a counter argument, the plaintiffs contended that aside not denying that they allocated the land comprising the market to shop owners and had collected rents before the demolition, the defendants failed to address the right and power of the Area Council or Local Government Area, under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution, to establish and manage markets within the council.
Paragraph 1€ of the Fourth Schedule provides that the functions of the Local Government Council shall include: “the establishment, maintenance and regulation of slaughter houses, slaughter slabs, markets, motor parks and public conveniences.”
Justice Agbaza has fixed ruling for July 22, 2015 in the contempt proceedings.
But for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and well-meaning individuals, life would have been a lot tougher for people forced to flee their homes by Boko Haram insurgents. Large parts of the Northeast were once overrun by the extremists, who sacked kings and subjects alike and formalised the takeover by unfurling their black flags.
That was not all. Apart from the grief of losing their loved ones to the invaders, fleeing survivors have suffered all manners of horrors and indignities. For some, living with relatives has its dark sides. For others in camps, life has been a mixed bag. Everything from food to clothing, medicaments, sleeping places, has been in short supply.
Such organisations as Empower54, founded by body enhancement expert and philant-ropist Modupe Ozolua have ensured that things do not get much worse.
Empower54 provides rehabilitation opportunities for internally displaced women and children, giving them much-needed medicaments, food, jobs tools and education, among others. As people grieved over their killed relatives, Empower54 soothed hearts. Where they worried about what to eat or wear, the NGO met their needs. Where they despaired over the academic future of their children Ozolua’s organisation provided education alongside study materials.
The beauty expert said, “Empower54 is a non- profit organisation dedicated to providing desperately needed humanitarian assistance such as medical missions, hunger eradication, educational, women/girl empowerment and refugee programmes to underprivileged Africans.
“We need the world to understand the urgency and sensitivity of this situation and support us achieve our goals in rehabilitating internally displaced women and children in Nigeria. This crisis concerns everyone. It’s not a religious or tribal issue; it’s a humanity issue
“Donation from well meaning individuals provides urgently needed supplies/tools that will enable survivors of Boko Haram to Rise Above Terror and become self- sufficient by practicing meaningful trades, which will enable them rebuild their homes, fend for themselves and their families and put their children in schools.”
She also added that, “Since January 2015, Empower54 under the umbrella of Body Enhancement Foundation has empowered over 200 internally displaced women by making them self-sufficient through skills they had prior to displacement.
“Such as giving them sewing machines, money for trade, resources for farming, local oil processing, materials for traditional weavers, rented homes.
Empower54, which is also registered in the US, also creates schools at IDP camps for internally displaced children in the North East states of Gombe, Adamawa and Borno States. The children are given uniforms, shoes, writing materials; teachers were hired and paid monthly by the organization.
As part of Empower54’s “Rise Above Terror” campaign to rehabilitate internally displaced women and children; we have gone on numerous dangerous tours of some communities destroyed by Boko Haram in Adamawa and Borno States.
“The objectives of the tours are to properly estimate the extent of damages done to homes by Boko Haram and configure that into its existing empowerment and educational programs for the IDPs.
“Some communities visited are: Adamawa State: Yola, Mubi, and Mararaba-Mubi, Mishara, Shuwakalaa. In Borno State: Uba, Michika, Kuma, Askira-Uba, Bazza, Kuzum, Dilchim, Lassa, Dille, Maiduguri, Bama, Conduga, Mangoro and Gowza.
The chairman of Abuja chapter of Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria LECAN, Chief Vitus Ofodum has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently address power challenges.
Speaking with journalists in his office in Abuja, the chairman called on the president to address the anomalies in the electricity industry.
Chief Ofodum kicked against the use of quacks in electricity works, a condition which he said if not checked would continue to cause serious problems in the quality of electricity services and consumption in the country.
He decried the use of quacks by Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) in electricity works, adding that since the company took over management of the industry from the government, it only concentrated on abnormal profit maximisation without giving good people of Nigeria the needed services.
He said: “PHCN is expected to put money into the system and rectify all the problems in the service works on the ground instead of maximizing abnormal profits and employing quacks.”
Calling on the government to take over the management of electricity as was obtainable before, he said that with the level of corruption in Nigeria, the country was not yet ripe to privatise electricity.
He alleged that Abuja Electricity Distribution Board (AEDB) has converted marketers to engineers; a situation which he said was not obtainable in Suleja, Niger state, where engineers are different from marketers.
Chief Ofodum insisted on the use of professionals in the industry.
He called on the present government to ensure that electricity laws are strictly adhered in other to increase the quality of power generation in the country.
He added that before former President Goodluck Jonathan left the office, he signed into law the Electricity Management Services (EMS) which ensured that every electricity work was done in conformity with electricity laws.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board (PHCDB) has said that this year’s Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week, is targeting over 60,000 expectant mothers in the FCT.
The Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Rilwan Mohammed who made this known at the flag-off of the FCT Health Week, said that they will integrate HIV, by making sure that “we carry out HIV screening during the programme”.
According to him, the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week was conceived to deliver a package of key maternal, neonatal and child survival interventions that have been proven to reduce maternal, neonatal and child mortality as contained in MDGs 4 and 5.
He said that Nigeria’s estimated maternal mortality rate of 545/1000 in 2008 has increased to 576/1000 in 2013 (NDHS, 2008; NDHS, 2013), that the under five mortality rate in Northcentral zone where the FCT is located is 100 deaths per 1000 live birth (DHS, 2013).
“Approximately one million under five children die annually. Malnutrition prevalence amongst fewer than five children in the FCT like most Nigerian states is alarming. Stunting 29.6 per cent, wasting 18.8 per cent and underweight 16.0per cent. micronutrent malnutrition is also prevalent.
“These rates are still unacceptably high. Although, considerable achievements have been recorded in certain areas, Vatimin A above 80 per cent in 2014, we still need to do more. The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week is a special week set aside by the federal government two times every year to deliver key interventions at the grassroots with focused awareness and service delivery on maternal, newborn and child health care.
“This MNCH week will provide health facilities based activities like Routine Immunisation against vaccine preventable diseases for children 0-11months, growth monitoring, promotion and food demonstration, Vitamin A supplementation for children 6-59months, birth registration, family planning services, hand washing demonstration, oral rehydration salts, long lasting insecticide nets to eligible mothers, focus ante natal care for pregnant women with iron folate and anitimalarial administration,” he said.
Mohammed, while urging eligible woman, new born or child not to miss any of the package of care, reiterated the urgency and need for everyone to embrace the programme, saying that he relies on everyone to take the role of MNCHW ambassador to encourage and mobilise women, caregivers and children to health facilities.
It was thought that the withdrawal of non-essential military checkpoints would give the police a golden opportunity to prove their mettle and adequately take charge of internal security in line with constitutional provisions. That has not happened.
On June 22, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the dismantling of the checkpoints across the country, directing the force to step into the vacuum that will be created by the exit of the soldiers.
Before that directive was issued, not a few Nigerians had negative memories about the force.
So Buhari’s order, no doubt, gave room for the police to exploit the directive fully in order to worm its way into the hearts of these Nigerians, who mostly recall the ugly scenes.
But within two weeks of the directive, it seemed as if the police were yet to put their acts together and live up to expectation.
The internal security appeared to be falling apart and growing worse than when the soldiers’ checkpoints dotting many parts of the country.
Besides the terrorists, Boko Haram, intensifying attacks in Borno State in the first two weeks of the directive, they have also ventured out of the area, which they have been restricted to many weeks back, to now carry out fatal attacks in new places.
Some of the new attacks within two weeks of the directive took place in Borno, Yobe, Plateau, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Adamawa, resulting in the death of more than 400 people.
This increasing onslaught by Boko Haram has now started to generate some unanswered questions among Nigerians on its likely causes and who should actually be blamed for the fresh attacks that have also injured many Nigerians.
Some of the questions bordered on whether there was any error in dismantling some of the essential military checkpoints that would have ensured that the sect did not leave where they have been restricted to until they are eventually smoked out.
There were also worries whether the attacks were being fuelled by those who want to create fears in the minds of Nigerians so that the innocent Nigerians can pressure the government for the return of all the dismantled military checkpoints in the country.
Could anybody be really benefiting from those military checkpoints?
Another question is whether the police should be wholly blamed for the rising attacks?
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who was appointed by former President Goodluck Jonathan, had before the end of that administration ordered dismantling of all police roadblocks in the country.
The police, under him, were expected to take advantage of the dismantling of military checkpoints by introducing measures that would boost internal security to the outfit’s credit.
How successful any measure introduced to boost internal security by the police, in the first two weeks of the directive, has not been very visible as Boko Haram seemed to be having a field day.
Rather than do everything possible to remove the dents on their image by properly securing the country, some of the policemen on the roads, in the first two weeks of the directive, were said to be involved still in extortion from motorists, especially at nights.
Many of them, who dared not mount the outlawed roadblocks, appeared on many roads in the cities, the moment darkness set in, doing the job the way they know how to do it and flashing their blinding torch lights on the faces of motorists.
But when the situation appeared to be getting out of hand, the Police Force last Tuesday was said to have signaled commencement of special Stop-and-Search operations on highways with emphasis on roads in and out of major cities/towns, nationwide.
It is however not clear why it took the Police Force two weeks to give the stop-and-search order after Buhari’s directive was given.
It was however a welcome development on Wednesday when news filtered in that the masterminds of the Jos and Zaria bomb blasts have been apprehended.
A statement issued by the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abayomi Shogunle, announcing the new order in the Police Force, had also urged the public to report any unprofessional conduct by policemen at www.stopthe bribes.net or nearest Police station.
While hoping that the new move will go a long way in boosting internal security, it is also prayed that no Nigerian who responds to the call by reporting such unprofessional conducts at any of the police stations will not be victimized and end up in the police net.
Besides the issue of Policing, another question agitating the minds of some Nigerians is whether there was any withdrawal of key equipment, tools, weapons or group of fighters from the battle against the sect, which have been very critical to the successes said to have been recorded in the tail end of Jonathan’s administration. Or are the fresh attacks just desperate moves of a sinking sect?
While it is difficult to really pinpoint where the problems are coming from, which has led to rise in attacks by the sect, it is expected that other key players in security issues would urgently reassess the situation and take steps to stop the rampage.
Everything must be done now to stop the massacre and destruction by ensuring peace and safety in all parts of Nigeria.
Villa visit excites #BBOG group
The joy and happiness on the faces of members of the #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) group led by former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili and Mariam Uwais knew no bounds last Wednesday.
They were happy that they were formally received at the Presidential Villa by President Muhammadu Buhari after 450 days that over 200 secondary school girls were abducted by Boko Haram in Chibok, Borno State.
Apart from the previous attempts by the group to access the seat of power and have audience with former President Goodluck Jonathan thwarted by the last administration, many of the members have not been spared by attacks on the social media.
The group, which was harassed by many government agencies under Jonathan’s administration, was also labeled as an arm of the then opposition party and now ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).
The group, at the meeting with Buhari, did not fail to maximize the opportunity as about eight persons from the group delivered one speech after the other thereby holding up Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for close to two hours at the Council Chamber briefing room.
Painting the hall red with their T-shirts’ colour, the selected members of the group in the hall numbering about 150, also took every available opportunity to render their solidarity songs.
They also posed for photographs with the President and his team in the hall.
Robbers operating in cabs may well be the worst nightmare of residents of the nation’s capital, Abuja. GRACE OBIKE tracks some of their tactics
Every capital has them: the wily pickpocket and the itinerant dupe with a phoney accent pretending to be a francophone visitor. Still, the worst scourge of Abuja must be the gangs which specialise in dispossessing their unsuspecting passengers of their cash in addition to putting them in all sorts of danger. Some say all the horrible tales they once heard of Lagos have been replicated in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The cab robbers are the scariest of all the criminals. Everyone knows that Abuja residents love their taxis, which are the robbers’ veritable tools of operation. They are also cheap to ride, going for as low as N200 or even lower for N150. This is unlike Lagos where taxi fares are almost a fortune.
You board a taxi, believing all you have for company is the driver. As the ride progresses, the driver finds an excuse to make a detour to a lonely road. He stops the vehicle pretending to have discovered a serious fault. Suddenly, his accomplice jumps out of hiding, threatens the passenger with a weapon and takes away all he has.
When you seek help or intervention from bystanders as the rogues flee, people often tell you to thank God you escaped alive.
According to most residents of the nation’s capital, the incidence of robbers operating in cars has been on the increase in the last few years, especially along Kubwa Expressway, Jabi, Berger and other parts of Abuja.
The fraudsters have adopted the technique of driving by busy bus stops with sometimes three rogue-passengers on board. Without completely slowing down, they mark out people standing alone and wait for the person to ask if they are going to a particular place. The victim feeling lucky amongst other passengers, boards, feeling safe since there are already people inside, sometimes a female among them.
The occupants of the vehicle will be so friendly and eager to accommodate their victim and give him as much comfort as possible. The car speeds off only to get to an isolated road a few minutes from where they picked the passenger and the first passengers begin to discuss dollars and pounds being in the boot of the vehicle or electronics to sell.
An unsuspecting victim may even join in the conversation which is the easiest way that they can achieve their goal and the victim will be lucky if they just stop at stealing his money and possessions on them because most go as far as making the victim clear out the accounts for them.
The scariest part in the taxi robbery is that the rogues do not only threaten their victims but hurt them so badly in some cases, some even killed. They operate with such deadly weapons as guns, knives and swords. Helpless victims submit to their will but some of the evil ones, after dispossessing their victims of their belongings, throw them out of moving vehicles.
One such case was that of a woman who after being robbed was thrown out of a vehicle. She did not fall off completely and was dragged over a distance by the speeding vehicle. Her skin was said to have peeled off in the ordeal.
Many others have been beaten severely, some scared off at fake shrines where they are forced to swear never to divulge their criminal act to anyone, not their relatives or the police.
To them, it is just plain hustling and trying to make ends meet. A victim, who recently fell into their trap, spoke with Abuja Review, saying that her abductors kept saying that they were hustling just like everyone else. The victim who only spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “As they beat me and took all the money in my bag, one of the men kept saying, I must make it in this Abuja, sebi we are all in Abuja, I must make it, come rain, come shine, nothing will stand between me and success.”
Another resident John Ishaku told Abuja Review how the criminals sent a foreigner running away from her work and Nigeria. Ishaku explained that his Kenyan friend was duped and dragged to a shrine somewhere in Jahi.
“After the incident,” he said, “she came back to tell us that they had not only stolen all the money in her purse, but dragged her to a shrine and made her swear in the shrine not to divulge their act to anyone or call the police. They went with her to the ATM and she cleared out the account for them. She was so scared, and spent three days in church fasting and crying on the altar. She refused to leave the church even after she had been convinced by the pastor that she was OK and not under any form of spell. She packed her belongings and left Nigeria for good. Something has to be done about these people. Abuja is a place filled with so many foreigners and not just Nigerians. These criminals are spoiling the name of this country.”
Resident of Abuja has a way of handling these criminals when they are caught: instant jungle justice unless they are lucky to be saved by law enforcement agencies. There have been cases of a crowd giving them the beating of their lives. A few years ago, a video went viral of an Abuja crowd that stripped some of these criminals naked and beat them up. The criminals were thrown down from an overhead bridge, which was really gruesome. Another group which defrauded a victim along Area I last year was chased and blocked in the traffic, one of them lucky to have escaped but the second was taught a lesson that if he survived it, he would think twice about embarking on another mission.
However when contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) FCT Command, ASP Anjuguri Manzah said that the cases of one chance in Abuja has actually decreased because the FCT police commissioner CP Wilson Inalegwu has made progressive efforts in curbing criminality in Abuja.
He stated that, “the Commissioner has given directives that crimes and criminal activities in the FCT should be stamped out by all means, we have been working on his directive and the cases of one chance has actually reduced drastically, we are making good efforts to ensure that the FCT becomes crime free and residents can live free and without any fear of intimidation.
“We deal with the cases of one chance often, whenever we catch them or they are reported to our stations, we don’t keep themý, we charge them to court immediately and they are prosecuted. Residents can be assured that the police is making all efforts in ensuring their safety.”
The decline or increase in criminal activities in the FCT especially in cases of the one chance will still have to be left for residents to decideý, a resident who might have encountered this hoodlums frequently may not be eager to agree that it has declined but people will have to be careful, security conscious at all times and be careful of how they board vehicles in isolated parts of town.
