By Seyi Babalola
Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has guaranteed Abuja residents improved security and infrastructure.
Wike provided the guarantee while addressing reporters following a closed-door meeting with senators at the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to the report, the Senate has asked the minister and the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, to update legislators on the measures in place to safeguard the territory.
The minister, who said the interaction was fruitful, added that the senators had agreed that security has significantly improved in the FCT.
“I am glad they are all happy with what we have done, what we are going to be doing and they provided some suggestions on ways forward.
“What is important is what the FCT should expect from now. I will say improved security, more infrastructure. You can see what is going on in the FCT. It has been turned into a construction site.
“You can also see what has happened in the FCTA. Now we have our own Civil Service Commission; now we have our own Permanent Secretaries which has never been.
“There are new things in the FCT, and the residents are happy,” Wike said.
According to him, there is no society without one form of crime or the other, adding that what was critical was being able to limit or reduce the level of insecurity.
The minister, on the spate of kidnappings, said: “Most of the kidnapping stories you hear, some of them are stage-managed by people. There are some internal arrangements.
“Take for example, you have a housekeeper or a driver in the house who will plot to kidnap the child of their boss. In such a case, what do you expect us to do?
“What we can do is to ensure that the person that is kidnapped is released.”
Wike further stated that the two most wanted kidnappers terrorising residents of the FCT had been arrested, adding that the development had reduced the level of kidnapping in Abuja.
“We are not saying we have gotten to where we want to be but we are doing a lot and people should acknowledge that what used to be is not what we are seeing now.
“We will continue to do our best to ensure that we provide the best to our people.
“We cannot give you the assurance that there will be no form of criminality, nobody can do that, as long as we are humans,” the minister said.
