FCTA Adopts New Strategy To Identify Criminals In Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has partnered with the National Union of Dispatch Riders and Mail Operators of Nigeria (NUDRMON) to identify and isolate criminal elements operating within the dispatch riding business in Abuja.

The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Transportation Secretariat, Chinedum Elechi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a meeting with members of the union.

Elechi said the partnership was made possible by the union’s development of a membership database, online portal and identification numbers designed to distinguish registered riders from unidentified operators.

He raised concern over the activities of unidentified dispatch riders in the FCT, noting that some allegedly use their delivery boxes to conceal and transport illegal items.

The mandate secretary commended the union’s initiative, describing it as crucial to differentiating legitimate riders from criminal elements.

He pledged the support of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Transportation Secretariat to the initiative, urging the union to work closely with the government.

“With this initiative, now we can isolate the bad eggs because it is usually common to paint people with one brush.

“Now the bad ones can be fetched out. Congratulations on this initiative. Our doors are open and ready to work with you in whatever way.

“We are happy to partner with you. After today we can say we are partners with dispatch riders. We can only protect those we have a relationship with,” he said.

Earlier, the National President of NUDRMON, Emmanuella Kwaghdega, said the database and body-number initiative was designed to create a unique and verifiable identity for every registered rider.

Kwaghdega said dispatch riding had become a major source of livelihood for thousands of Nigerian youths, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with riders providing services to restaurants, pharmacies, e-commerce platforms, financial institutions, businesses and households.

He, however, said the industry was facing challenges including the activities of criminal operators, security concerns, traffic violations, accidents, multiple operational permits and the absence of a unified identification system.

“We realised that we cannot continue like this. If we want government to protect us, government must know us; if we want the public to trust us, the public must be able to identify us,” he said.

Kwaghdega said the initiative would also enable authorities to hold erring operators accountable without unfairly associating them with legitimate riders.

“Our vision is: one ride, one identity and one verifiable body number,” he said.

According to him, a credible database would improve security, promote responsible riding, strengthen accountability, support accident and welfare interventions, and provide government with reliable data for planning and regulation.

He added that the database could also help address the problem of multiple operational permits through engagement with relevant authorities towards a more harmonised framework for dispatch riders.

Kwaghdega said the initiative would have a greater impact if the FCTA took ownership of it and worked with the union.

“It becomes a collaborative solution to a shared FCT transportation and security challenge,” he said.

He commended the Transportation Secretariat for supporting the initiative, saying the union appreciated the administration for choosing collaboration over confrontation and organisation over uncertainty.