President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has granted an emergency approval for procurement of digital tracking devices to aid the fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, made this disclosure in Abuja on Monday, during his first monthly media chat for the year.
Wike who noted that the lack of adequate equipment in the past led to recent unpleasant events, said with the emergency procurement approval by the President, the story would soon change in the FCT.
The Minister also applauded the emergency approval by the President, saying it has eliminated the delay that would have been encountered in going through the normal procurement process.
According to Wike, the purchase of the special equipment will enable the security agencies to track criminals to their exact location in the city adding that it would help to limit criminal activities.
According to the Minister, “So, what we have done with Mr. President, giving us approval for emergency procurement, we have been able to identify what each of the agencies need and we will be able now to provide them”.
He also disclosed that the FCT Administration will provide motorcycles to ease specific movements of the security agencies in difficult terrains to enable them tackle insecurity in the nation’s capital.
The Minister said he learnt on assumption of office that the Nigeria Police Force had requested the procurement of motorcycles to enable them go into places vehicles could not get to, including remote and mountainous areas
“The basic thing is having identified all these and the security agencies have told us this is what they require, we have to do the needful. We have even gone further to ask the state director of DSS about what they would need to tackle this menace. What kind of equipment do you want? Not that if anything happens, you have to run to your headquarters to seek assistance,” he remarked.
Stressing that the government was not resting on its oars, the Minister said some of the informants recently arrested by security agencies were cooperating and giving useful intelligence, adding that the information extracted from the informants had led to the arrest of some kidnappers as well as the foiling of more attacks.
The FCT Minister, however stressed the need for information sharing among security agencies saying it is key to unravelling the issue of insecurity in the nation’s capital.
Wike also stated that the FCT Administration will continue to work with all stakeholders to ensure the safety of lives and property in the FCT, adding that every resident has a role to play to combat insecurity in the FCT.
He said: “Our going out to involve the natives, the Area Councils, is to let them know that they also have a role to play and that information is key. We were able to encourage the area councils to have vigilante groups to be able to give security agencies information. We were able to know firsthand, their own peculiarities, their own problems.”