The Police in Abuja have boasted that Abuja is one of the safest places to live on earth, but the stats are getting more chilling by the day: Gunmen killed Ayuba Chashe and abducted his two children at Yebu community in Kwali Area Council of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja; nine persons, including a 12 years old boy were abducted in Kuje; a civil defence corps officer was shot at and abducted with others; and smack in the middle of the city a university teacher and daughter of a prominent Adamawa politician were abducted but later released after payment of ransom.
Two Sundays ago, a young Lady, simply identified as Precious, closed shop and was accosted by a group of young men in Kuchigoro, just a few hundreds of meters from theUmar Musa Yar’Adua way. She was stabbed on her skull and shoulder and left for dead at about 11.00 p.m. She was rushed to hospital, but passed away less than six hours later.
But these appear to be the fringes of a deeper security malaise in the country, and seat of power with all its security apparatuses.
Equally worried like other residents, Tthe President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Tuesday held a crucial security meeting with top officials who are directly charged with the security of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The meeting, which held at the Senate President’s office, was also attended by key officers of the Senate.
“We are very concerned, like all of you are, about the level of security challenges in the FCT,” Lawan said in his opening remarks before the meeting went into a closed door session.
The Senate President said the meeting was to address the current security challenges in the FCT and chart the way forward.
Lawan said the meeting was a follow-up to an earlier meeting held last week, adding that the idea was to engage those who are directly dealing with the security issues within the FCT.
In attendance at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno; FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello, and Director General of Department of State Service, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Others are the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Peter Ogunyanwo, who represented the Inspector General of Police; FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma and Permanent Secretary in the FCT Administration, Chinyeaka Ohaa.
No word, not even one to reassure Nigerians or Abuja residents, came out of the meeting.
Meanwhile, Chairman of Kwali Area Council, Mr Danladi Chiya, where a father was killed and two of is ildren abducted on Tuesday said the fearful occured in night of Monday when the gunmen attacked the community.
Chiya said efforts were on to rescue the children and appealed for cooperation with security agencies to curb the menace in the area