Insecurity: Concerns in FCT council over influx of non-indigenes

The Ona of Abaji and Chairman of the FCT Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Alhaji Adamu Baba Yunusa, has raised an alarm over the influx of people into his domain.

Alhaji Adamu spoke during a meeting at his palace on Friday, which was attended by tribal chiefs, community leaders, and representatives of the motorcycle union and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), as well as security operatives.

The monarch expressed concern regarding the rate at which unknown persons are arriving in the area, particularly from Kogi State, where security operatives are currently clamping down on bandits.

He noted that many of these people are seeking refuge in Abaji to evade security forces.

The monarch said, “For the past week, the rate at which people, especially from Kogi State, have been trooping into Abaji is quite alarming. Most of us are aware of what is happening in Kogi, and I want us to be vigilant. You must know the kind of people you accommodate in your houses.”

He emphasized that the council has enjoyed long-standing peace, but warned that renting houses to visitors without proper identification could pose a serious threat to the community.

The monarch, therefore, urged all tribal chiefs in the area to ensure that any stranger seeking to rent a house is properly profiled in collaboration with relevant security agencies.

Also speaking, the Abaji Police Area Commander, Mr. Sadiq A. Yusuf, informed the monarch that seven rooms had recently been rented to those people at Unguwar Abattoir.

He said the police swung into action after receiving the information, adding that his men were mobilized to the area to ensure they vacated the premises they were attempting to occupy at Unguwar Abattoir.

He assured the monarch that the police would continue to collaborate with other security agencies to ensure that strangers coming from Kogi, Niger, or Nasarawa states are duly profiled before being allowed to settle in the area.

“Abaji is the gateway to Abuja; any visitor coming into the FCT must pass through here. Therefore, there is a need for community leaders to know the kind of visitors they accommodate, especially with the ongoing bombardment of bandits’ hideouts in Kogi State,” Yusuf said.

On his part, the Abaji Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Mr. MD Kudu, said the police have been conducting raids on various brothels and lodging houses to ensure that no criminal suspects are being harbored.

A representative of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) also briefed the monarch on the agency’s crackdown on drug dealers.

“Recently, we arrested a drug dealer identified as Hamza from Gada-Biyu in Kwali Area Council after he was caught in possession of hard drugs. The suspect frequently came to Abaji to sell these substances. As I speak, he has been charged to court,” the representative said.

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