Kuje Community Protest Insecurity, Barricade Council Secretariat

Following the recent kidnapping of nine persons including a 12 years boy in Pegi community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, some residents of the community have staged a peaceful protest.

The protesters alleged that the Kuje Council and FCT Administration had failed to complete the road project linking Kuje town to the community, and have distorted the original master plan of the community.

The protesters blocked the entrance to Kuje Area Council Secretariat, holding placards with inscriptions such as “Kidnappers on rampage in Kuje”, and “Give us security in Pegi community.”

The leader of the protest Aderibigbe Taiwo disclose to  News Agency of Nigeria that the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of authorities to the insecurity, negligence and hardship experienced by the residents.

“The master plan of Pegi Resettlement site that was originally mapped out in 2005 by the former Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, had been altered.

“This community has suffered hardship as a result of infrastructural deficit and security challenges,” he said.

Taiwo noted that the activities of armed robbers and motorcycle-snatchers have become rampant.

“They always take advantage of the bad road linking the community to attack innocent residents, especially civil servants while (they are) returning from work.

“Some gunmen dressed in military camouflage, on Monday night, fired shots at vehicles and over four people were kidnapped and some residents were seriously injured.

“About four persons, including a 10-year-old boy, were among the victims that were kidnapped on Monday in the community.

“The attackers could not be less than 20, as they fired indiscriminately. Bullets deflated tyres and created deep holes on vehicles.”

He recalls that the Monday attack was the second time that kidnapping was recorded in the community recently.

“More than six persons were kidnapped in 2018 at the same location. We are pleading with relevant authorities to come to our rescue.

“We, the residents of Pegi community have been neglected and several distortions have been made to the original master plan of our community, we call on the government to also intervene.

“We are also calling on the Kuje Area Council and FCT Minister to come and address the rising spate of insecurity in our community,” Taiwo urged.

Addressing the residents, the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Sabo, assured them of improved security and peace in the area.

He said the area council in cooperation with security operatives are on a search-and-rescue mission to ensure that the victims were rescued.

According to him, he will ensure that dilapidated roads in the area were fixed and a police outstation established in the area.

The Divisional Police Officer has appealed to the protesters to open the council secretariat gate to prevent miscreants from hijacking the protests.