Scavengers, Cultists On ‘Hard Drugs’ Behind Crimes In Abuja – Minister

In a bid to curb insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the city’s administration has revealed plans to strengthen its partnership with security and intelligence agencies.

This comes as the Minister of FCT, Muhammad Musa Bello, has attributed rising insecurity in the city to proliferation of drug use among scavengers and cultists residing in the federal capital.

The minister’s submission was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Anthony Ogunleye, on Wednesday.

Ogunleye said Bello had met with the FCT Security Committee on Tuesday, where they agreed to strengthen their partnership to check crime in the city.

He said the FCTA pledged to, “confront head-on the menace of scavengers, cultism and drug abuse” threatening the lives and properties of FCT residents.

The minister was quoted as saying, “Each time there is a crisis, you find that people of no known address, people without any means of livelihood suddenly come up with arms and start fighting each other and killing each other. All these are done under the influence of drugs and this is something that we are going to confront head-on,” he said.

Bello lamented that compared to the past where criminals were known for vandalising public utilities, they have now become major threats to lives and private property, reiterating that their activities remained banned in the FCT.

“They will now be an improved working synergy within the security and intelligence community in the FCT because the task of the provision of adequate security cannot be left to the police alone.

“We need citizens’ support, especially in terms of intelligence dissemination and also for leaders at all levels, whether it’s at the ward level or at the city level or at the village level or at the Area Council level.

“Political leaders at all level, as well as traditional and religious leaders, have to play their part and we need to communicate and also encourage citizens to be law-abiding and also to provide needed intelligence. Doing that, I think by the grace of God, we will surmount and continue to make FCT a very safe place for everybody,” he said.

About Kidnapping and other security concerns, the Minister said efforts were being made to encourage the cordial relationship between herders and farmers within the FCT to prevent clashes between them.

On her part, the Minister of State for FCT, Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, equally reassured residents of their safety as the Administration was not unaware of the security challenges and is taking all necessary measures for the protection of lives and property.