Abuja traditional rulers express concern over escalating insecurity

The Council of Chiefs for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has voiced their concern about the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja.

Alhaji Adamu Baba, the Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the FCT Council of Chiefs, raised this issue on Thursday. He emphasized the need for the Defence Headquarters to enhance safety in Abuja by deploying more troops throughout the territory.

This call was made during a courtesy visit by FCT traditional rulers to Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), in Abuja, as stated in a release by Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, the Acting Director of Defence Information.

During the visit, the traditional leaders expressed their appreciation to the CDS and the armed forces for their commitment to combating insecurity not only in Nigeria but also in the FCT. They also conveyed their apprehension regarding the rising rates of criminal activities, notably the activities of “one-chance” criminals in Abuja, urging the military to assist in addressing this issue.

In response, the CDS expressed gratitude to the traditional rulers for their visit and encouraged them to educate their communities on the importance of providing actionable information to support the security agencies. Musa stressed that security is a collective responsibility and urged the traditional leaders to promote the “see something, say something” approach to empower the military to take effective action. Additionally, he encouraged the traditional leaders to take community policing seriously as a means to address criminality in the FCT.