Banditry in FCT: A Note for the Military, Security Agencies

Banditry in FCT: A Note for the Military, Security Agencies

By MUKHTAR Ya’u Madobi

In most disturbing development, Kidnappers in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, have commenced the execution of their captives for failure to receive ransom payments in time.

At least four out of the 10 persons kidnapped in Kubwa/Dutse area of the territory have been executed and their bodies dumped at Ida, near Ushafa in Bwari Area Council. Surprisingly the location is just behind the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), the foremost security training institute owned by the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

The recovered bodies were that of a secondary school student Miss Folorunsho Ariyo and a 400 level student of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Nabeeeha Al-kadriyar. While Miss Ariyo was abducted along with her mother and three siblings two Sundays ago, Nabeeeha Al-kadriyar was seized with her father and five of her female siblings a week ago from the same axis.

Despite being the seat of power, Abuja- the capital city of Nigeria is now becoming a hub for al sorts of criminals with the notorious ones being the bandits who are always closing in on the city with their rampaging activities of attacking neighbouring communities and villages.

There are also ‘one chance’ armed robbery syndicates who specialise in inflicting injuries and even death on their victims after depriving them of their hard-earned belongings.

It is obvious that Nigeria is currently passing through one of its worst security nightmares that seems to defy all sorts of solutions. Despite that, if there is a single place that is considered to be more secured and safeguarded, that location should be where ‘the seat of power’ is stationed- Abuja, that is the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

It is disheartening and more frightening that Abuja is now becoming infested with bandits. Residents in villages and communities around the cities hardly sleep with both their eyes closed due to fear of the unknown as they may experience an attack at any moment from the vicious bandits.

Furthermore, even estates in communities of Bwari, Kuje and other notable areas are not spared from these blood-thirsty marauders. Is there an end to this tragic incident within the near future?

After a lull, reports indicated that bandits have now resumed operations along Abuja-Kaduna highways. Between 2nd and 7th January, it was gathered that not less than 85 people were abducted apart from innocent citizens killed along this strategic and very important highway that connected most of the Northern part of the country to the capital city.

Media reports indicate that on January 7, at least 11 persons were kidnapped in the Sagwari Estate Layout, in the Dutse-Alhaji area of the FCT by bandits who dressed in military uniform and January 11, bandits allegedly abducted 23 people at Kawu community in Bwari Area Council of FCT;

Before then gunmen abducted 23 residents in Dei-Dei community on December 9, 2023; 13 persons were also abducted at the Garam community close to Bwari where a pastor was also killed on December 24. Similarly bandits stormed Kaduru, another FCT community on December 28 and kidnapped 18 persons in the process.

The unwanted series of worsening security challenges in Abuja are one too many to be ignored due to the ripple effects it encompasses. Because, if not tamed outrightly, the raging fire will continue to blow and consume everyone including those on the seats of power.

Reports indicated that the recent invasion of Abuja villages is being perpetrated by criminals that usually sneak into the communities through river or bush paths from neighbouring Niger and Kaduna states, where they have established camps. It was noted that this scenario has been making it difficult for security patrol teams manning the checkpoints to notice their arrival and not to even talk of intercepting them.

Findings show that communities located on the outskirts of Bwari town, namely, Tukolo, Baran-Goni, Kuduru and Zuma, as well as other remote communities like Igwu, Shere and Kawu, and Mpape, have been worst affected by the rising attacks. Also, residents in other areas around Kubwa, Dutse, Dei-Dei and nearby Zhibi communities are also becoming prey to the marauding elements.

There are even indications that some key and strategic government institutions at Bwari Area Council are at high risk due to these rising cases of insecurity. They included the Nigerian Law School campus, Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which also owns staff quarters around the area, National Institute for Security Studies (NISS), Bwari, as well as other numerous private and public institutions.

There are concerns that these key institutions are under threat if nothing is done to smoke out these criminal elements. It is still vividly in our minds how in July 2022, a captain of the Nigerian Army and two soldiers were killed by bandits in the Bwari area.

These worrisome incidents in Abuja keep on happening in spite of the promises made by the FCT Police Command thereby assuring residents, particularly those living in Ushafa, Bwari and environs, of their safety, saying that additional police personnel had been deployed to contain security threats.

However, the situation has been metamorphosing from bad to worse particularly without respite.

Notwithstanding, to say the very least, the killings and kidnappings are highly regrettable. However, to think that such acts of criminality could take place at the seat of power is disheartening. Abuja is the FCT, the seat of the Federal Government, and the national headquarters of all military and paramilitary agencies who are mandated to secure the properties and lives of every citizen in the country.

Indeed, because the FCT is the seat of multiple governments and foreign embassies, it is unfortunate that the kind of kidnappings and killings witnessed in recent times took place. What kind of signals are the authorities sending to the international communities?

However, all security apparatus in the country especially the military, police and civil defence as well as intelligence communities including Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, Department of State Service, DSS, and the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, must collectively and entirely review their approaches and strategies to contain insecurity.

More efforts should be channelled towards timely gathering of actionable intelligence especially in detecting the movements of these criminal syndicates which may lead to identification of their terror cells and its subsequent elimination.

However, the residents should know that security is everybody’s business- not only for the government, military or police alone. Every individual has a role to play in surmounting this hydra-headed problem that has become thorn in our flesh.

Supplying the security personnel with credible information is a recipe to nipping this lingering problem in a bud. We must all come and fight together to defeat this challenge.

MUKHTAR is the author of “National Security Strategies: A Young Writer’s Perspectives,” and is a Senior Correspondent with the Emergency Digest.