Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has handed over 100 specialised motorcycles to Nigeria Police, Vigilance Group of Nigeria (VGN), Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSåCDC) in order to shore up support by seåcurity personnel to combat kidnapping in the rural areas of thåe area councils of Federal Capital Territory.
At a ceremony yesterday in Abuja, the vigilance group received 60 motorcycles, while the Nigeria Police got 30, and the DSS and NSCDC received five each.
The minister, however, cautioned that the motorcycles must only be used at the security outposts of the rural areas as the administration had been making effort to phase out motorcycles in the city centre.
He also warned the security agencies to account for the motorcycles, saying: “I don’t want to hear stories tomorrow that the motorcycles are nowhere to be found again because sometimes when you give out vehicles, before you know it, the vehicles are no more there. Please utilise these motorcycles to fight crimes in the areas you have identified. Ordinarily, the chairman of the Area Councils ought to handle this, but this is our support to them in the area.
“Make sure that these motorcycles are given out to the vigilantes, and we are going to provide logistics for those who are going to use these motorcycles. We are going to provide logistics for them. Anything we can do to protect lives and property, we are going to do it. So, I urge you to use it well, and take it not for commercial purposes. I don’t want to see the motorcycles in the city here. It should be used in the rural areas.”
He also vowed that the administration would not tolerate excuses about terrain not being accessible, noting what the security personnel requested was provided for them.
Wike said vehicles would be provided in the next two weeks to support the fight against kidnapping, while assuring the FCTA would not relent until criminality was tackled in the territory.
In his response, the Commandant-General of VGN, Navy Captain Abubakar Bakori Umar (rtd), commended Wike for donating operational motorcycles to the group to enhance community security in the six Area Councils of the FCT.
