The population of Bwari local government in the federal capital territory is over 500,000. In November 2023, the FCT administration listed Bwari, Kuje, and Abaji as three most prominently subjected to kidnapping and banditry.
Abaji population is quoted at 127000, Kuje population is estimated at 212,000, meaning that these three areas (Bwari, Kuje and Abaji), have a cumulative population of 839,000..
With different businesses embarked upon by the residents including farming, many have found succour in working in this environment, until bandits started terrorising, making people abandon their homes and businesses as kidnapping becomes the order of the day. In-fact the report notes that most of the kidnappings in Abuja are not usually reported.
It was a very bright morning when this reporter visited Bwari, now a shadow of itself , with silence engulfing most communities and businesses no longer vibrant as it used to be.
A resident, Faith Daniels told WikkiTimes that she stopped selling her wares after incidents of kidnap in her area.
“I had to stop selling, I live in fear and sometimes do not come home,” she told WikkiTimes.
Faith is not alone, many persons have abandoned their homes, including those who built houses, preferring to stay in other parts of the federal capital territory citing insecurity.
A victim of such an instance, Ridwan Suleiman (not real name), noted that when bandits struck close to his home in Bwari, he couldn’t bear the risk of his family staying in the area and had to relocate to the town area, abandoning his home in Bwari.
Another victim Samuel Olatunde (not real name), noted how he spent millions to build in Bwari but had to leave as the banditry became worse off.
Many stories of victims paint a picture of Bwari fast becoming a place abandoned by many in the fear of bandits.
Motorists also shared their fear with WikkiTimes
“When you are travelling from a place like Kano, you can easily go through Bwari to connect Abuja but because of the activities of bandits, many motorists prefer to abandon the route and pass through Zuba axis,” a motorist who identified himself as Sodiq Ibrahim, told WikkiTimes.
Another motorist also told WikkiTimes that travelling and passing through the Jere axis that connects Bwari is an issue of major concern and that which scares motorists and passengers from time to time.
A quick check of online sources also show how Bwari and other communities in Abuja have become centres of kidnapping, situations that are sometimes less reported.
On the night of Friday, March 10, gunmen numbering in the region of 20 were reported to have stormed the Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubwa under Bwari abducting nine residents in the process.
In January 2024, there was outrage as one of six sisters abducted in Abuja were reported dead in captivity.This followed a raid by gunmen on January 5, in the Zuma 1 area of Abuja, abducting six girls and shooting two police officers.
In the Kawu area of Abuja, Bandits were also reported to have abducted 23 people in January.
In December, 2023, bandits also attacked Dei-Dei close to the livestock market. Many people were kidnapped.
These bandits operate largely in areas in the outskirts of Abuja, with many residents of the FCT moving en masse from the outskirts to the main town.
Where we call the outskirts is just one hour and a few minutes to places in the main town, like just one hour to Lugbe.
Deidei, where one of the attacks happened, is 29 kilometres from Kubwa in the Abuja town, meaning that the outskirts are not so far from town.
The activities of bandits now sent shivers down the spine of businesses and residents, this is despite the presence of different security formations in the capital territory and promises to secure Abuja by the authority.
All major security establishments such as the Nigerian Army, Police and other security apparatuses have their head office in Abuja, yet bandits have a hayday. The minister of the federal capital territory , Nyesom Wike, had lamented absence of security votes in the federal capital territory, a development which he says, if available, could have boosted the capital territory security warchest.
Despite the increased spendings on security by the Nigerian government, it is unable to protect its own capital city, based on trends of kidnappings and deaths registered in the FCT.
Data review for instance shows that in the 2021 budget, While N772.3 billion was allocated to personnel costs, overhead and capital budgeted costs were put at N66.2 billion and N127.8 billion respectively.
In 2022, N912.5 billion was budgeted for personnel expenditure, N83.5 billion for overhead and N204.6 billion was for capital needs cumulatively totalling N1.2 trillion.
Also in 2023, N1.25 trillion was allocated to the ministry where N1 trillion was given to the personnel, N97.1 billion and N285.04 billion were earmarked for the overhead cost and capital cost respectively, hence, totalling N1.38 trillion for the ministry.
In the 2024 budget, the Ministry of Defence was allocated N1.15 trillion for personnel; N116.5 billion for overhead and N308.2 billion for capital, totaling N1.57 trillion.
Review also shows that the defence ministry usually has a high budget implementation percentage, meaning that the budgets are usually backed up with actual releases.
The FCT also has a joint task force responsible for security within its axis. However, all these measures have failed to tackle insecurity.
Experts Proffer Ways Forward, Warn that FCT Outskirts Should not be Allowed to Fall to Bandits
A communication and security expert, Alabidun Shuaib Abdulrahman, however told WikkiTimes that money alone cannot solve the issue of insecurity.
According to him, there is a need to partner with local leaders in the FCT and also ensure involvement of locals in the security architecture of the capital territory.
Another expert, Senator Ireogbu noted that there is a need for intelligence to be well activated in the federal capital territory to stem the tide.
He also advocated neighbourhood watch to every part of the FCT, and this can be linked up to the police.
He also urged that FCT should tackle the issue of unemployment in the capital territory, as the capital territory houses many displaced persons. Senator Ireogbu opined that a CCTV installation will also help tackle the menace.
He warned that bandits must not be allowed to conquer the outskirts of the FCT, because that way they (bandits) may find their way into the main towns.
He lamented the breakdown of local government structure in Nigeria, a situation that exposes rural areas. The security expert advocated that development should be taken to these rural areas too, to ensure that they are included in governance that makes criminals see that there is government presence.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh told WikkiTimes that the police is deploying tactical moves to ensure peace in the capital territory, noting that tactics deployed are not meant for public consumption. She added that the police were on top of the situation.
This report is produced with Support from Civic Media Lab (CML).
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