.As Senate grills him, Police Commissioner
Disturbed by the lingering level of kidnapping and other forms of criminality in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, the Senate of Wednesday devoted its whole plenary to a closed door meeting with the Minister of FCT, Nysom Wike and FCT Police Commissioner Mr Bennett Igwe on how to tackle the menace.
The closed door meeting was which lasted for over four hours was sequel to a motion by Senator Ned Nwoko( PDP) representing Delta North Senatorial District.
Senator Nwoke had in the motion a couple of weeks ago called Senate’s attention to kidnapping in
Galadimawa area of the FCT that resulted in the killing of his Senior legislative aide.
The Senate had on adoption of the motion resolved to invite the FCT Minister and FCT Police Commissioner,
Mr Bennet Igwe to interact with it on efforts to curb incessant kidnapping, killings and other forms of criminality in the territory.
The Minister at that meeting told the Lawmakers measures taken by his administration aimed at reducing the level of insecurity in the country’s capital.
Addressing journalists shortly after the closed door security meeting with the Senate on Wednesday, Wike said with the measures put in place, the incidence of kidnappings and banditry has drastically gone down and would continue to reduce.
He however expressed reservations about the increasing cases of “ staged managed” kidnappings for ransom in the Federal Capital Territory
Minister said there has been a reduction in crime and criminalities in the FCT, adding that two of the most wanted kidnappers in the FCT have also been arrested.
Wike stated that though the FCT has not reached where it wants to be in terms of security, he said there was a marked improvement in the security situation as attested to by the lawmakers.
The Minister said it was impossible to put a total stop to crime and criminalities within any society, but assured that the FCT Administration, working with the security agencies, will continue to do its best to secure lives and property in the nation’s capital.
According to the Minister, “Even the Senators agreed that security has quite improved in the FCT. There is no part of this world where criminality has been eradicated completely.
“What we are trying to say is being able to limit or reduce the level of insecurity. But if anybody tells you that as a society is concerned, you will not have one form of criminality, that is not correct and we must have to tell ourselves the truth”.
Wike also disclosed that the kidnapping incidents in the FCT were sometimes stage-managed by unscrupulous elements in the society while assuring that the security agencies will continue to ensure that kidnapped victims were released.
According to the Minister, “The kidnappings you hear, sometimes, are stage-managed by people. There are some internal arrangements. Take for example, you have a housekeeper in the house, you have a driver who will plot to kidnap the child of their master. In that case, what do you want us to do? All we can do is to see how the person that has been kidnapped is released. But to stop it will be difficult because it’s an in-house arrangement, where a driver that is involved in bringing a child from school will mastermind the kidnapping”.
Speaking further, the Minister said, “I’m not saying that we don’t have kidnapping. Mind you, two most notorious kidnappers, we have gotten them and that’s why you see that the level of kidnapping has reduced.
.“We are not saying that we have gotten where we want to be, but we are doing a lot and people must acknowledge that what used to be is not what we are seeing now and we will continue to do our best by providing the best for our people, but we cannot give you the assurance that there will be no form of criminality. Nobody can say that”.
Also fielding questions from journalists, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennet Igwe assured residents of their safety within the FCT and its immediate environs.
He said his command has come up with new strategies and tactics to deal decisively with criminals especially “armed robbers” popularly known as “One Chance “ terrorizing the city.
Attendance at the meeting were the FCT Commissioner of Police Benneth Igwe, FCT Director of the DSS, ADG Ado Muazu, and the Commandant of the NSCDC, Olusola Odumosu.
