Insecurity Reports on Abuja Overblown, Says FCT Minister

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Musa Mohammed, has said most of the reports bothering on the security challenges in Abuja are exaggerated.

The minister made the reassuring declaration yesterday at the 20th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration scorecard (2015-2023) in Abuja.

He said although the federa capital had issues with security challenges, substantial progress had been made in that area through active collaboration between the FCT Administration and the security agencies that have been able to curtail the activities of infiltrates trying to relocate to the territory from various areas where there are ongoing intensive military operation against terrorism and banditry.

The minister said security agencies in the FCT have remained alert and have through regular tactical and kinetics operations ensured that the criminals find no abode in the territory.

He added that the FCTA had also intervened by providing equipment and cognitive support to the security agencies.

According to the minister, “A lot of people out there try to over blow the issue, but I am privy to the security report of what is happening in the FCT every 24 hours and as a matter of fact every 12 hours. And I know that there is a lot of work that is going on and for every incident you read or see on the social media, I tell you over 10 cases have been nipped in the bud by our security agencies, but we tend to look at the negative ones.”

Bello said the situation in the country is lot better than what occasions in most Western cities, adding that the federal government should also consider giving advisory to Nigerians about incidents in other places to reassure them that the security situation in Abuja and the country by and large is not as bad as it is being portrayed

He also described land administration as one of the most difficult matters for him as the FCT minister.

Bello noted that land would be difficult to acquire in Abuja in the next 20 years unlike in the past when people were being invited to come and develop the city.

He said all the areas for development in

Phase 1, 2 and 3 in the masterplan were allocated before the Buhari administration, adding that there was no point giving people false hope that they will have a piece of paper allocation for areas where they will not develop in their lifetime.