President Bola Tinubu has granted approval for the emergency procurement of digital tracking tools to combat the activities of kidnappers effectively. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, disclosed this during a media interface in Abuja on Monday.
Wike, without delving into specific details, mentioned that informants recently apprehended by security agencies in the territory are cooperating and providing actionable intelligence. The information obtained from these suspects has resulted in the arrest of kidnappers, who were subsequently paraded by the Police over the weekend.
He further highlighted that security agencies have successfully thwarted additional attacks, emphasizing that the government is actively addressing the security challenges. Wike expressed concerns about the inadequate equipment in the past contributing to unfavorable events. However, with the president’s approval for emergency procurement, he asserted that the situation is poised to improve significantly.
He said; “So many facilities were not provided. Vehicles for the security agencies are not there. You cannot believe it that equipment to track criminals are not there. When anything happens, they go back to the Office of the National Security Adviser or to the Force Headquarters. That is not the way it is supposed to be.”
“When I was the Governor of Rivers State, the DSS told me they wanted a particular equipment. We were the only state that had it then. In fact, sometimes the headquarters asked for its use.”
“That is a special equipment they needed and that equipment, we know how expensive it is but we had it and that was able to help us reduce the level of crime.”
“It was able to track the specific phones not one that would say for example the criminals are around the city here. With that equipment, it was specific. It can track a particular phone to the exact spot or room.”
“So, what we have done with the approval of Mr President, giving us approval for emergency procurement, we have been able to identify what each of the agencies need and we will be able now to provide them.”
“Again before we came on board, the police had said that they had requested procurement of certain number of motorcycles where vehicles cannot get to- the remote and mountainous areas. Unfortunately, they were not provided but we are going to do that now.”
“Security is not just these equipment. You also have to motivate the personnel. I don’t want to talk about the strategies because we are talking security now.”