The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Nyesom Wike, has pledged the support of the FCT Administration to General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, in addressing insecurity across the nation.
During the visit of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to Abuja on Friday, Wike pledged his support and acknowledged the relentless efforts of the Nigerian military in safeguarding the nation.
He assured Musa of the FCTA’s commitment to enhancing the security situation in the country and preserving the nation’s territorial integrity in any way possible.
“Do not hesitate to tell us whatever support you need from the FCT,” he said.
He said that the National Assembly had passed the 2024 FCT Statutory Budget, adding that a provision was made in the budget for the procurement of drones for security agencies.
This, according to him, will support security agencies in winning the ongoing war against all forms of insecurity, particularly in the FCT.
“The budget for FCT has been passed by the National Assembly.
“We have made provisions in the budget to buy drones to help security agencies in their efforts to reduce the level of crime in the whole of FCT.
“We are providing logistics to the security agencies, and in the next few days, patrol vehicles and the communication gadgets for the security agencies will be ready.
“What we are also trying to do is build an FCT Rapid Response Centre that will be managed by a joint team of the military, the police, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.”
The minister emphasized that the center would be furnished with a comprehensive array of technologies to enhance the campaign against insecurity.
He extended condolences to the families of the Nigerian military personnel affected by the Delta incident, denouncing it as barbaric. Wike affirmed, “We, as FCT, stand ready to assist the Nigerian military in any manner possible.”
“Let’s see what we can do to reduce the pain of the families.”
Previously, the CDS elucidated that his visit aimed to commend Wike for the rapid transformation occurring in the FCT under his tenure as FCT minister.
He also assured the minister of the Armed Forces’ backing in any capacity necessary.
Emphasizing that the Armed Forces are mandated to safeguard Nigerians and defend the nation while respecting citizens’ rights, he underscored their commitment to this duty.
Regarding the challenges of crimes such as “one chance” incidents and kidnappings, Musa disclosed that a committee had been established to explore ways to bolster existing responses.
Furthermore, he pledged to support the Nigerian Police Force by deploying ground and air troops to assist in maintaining peace.
“We are looking at how we can assist the police in responding to acts of criminality.
“What we are trying to do is to build a force that will be on standby 24/7, in case there’s anything happening, we can provide additional support to the police,” he said.