Insecurity: FCT police, DSS ill-equipped to tackle kidnappings, don’t have ‘ordinary’ tracking gadgets – Wike

• Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, he said his administration will purchase drones for surveillance at border communities

The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the seeming indifference of security operatives to the deepening insecurity  in the nation’s seat of power.

This is as he said security agencies in the nation’s capital are ill-equipped and lacked basic security devices tracking equipment needed to tackle insecurity head-on

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, he said his administration will purchase drones for surveillance at border communities.

He singled out the FCT commands of the police and the Department of State Services, which he said lacked ordinary tracking devices.

He added that he had informed the president about the gravity of the situation and the need to urgently tackle it.

He said, “It’s unfortunate to say this, that mostly the security agencies, in particular I will say, the police here, are not adequately equipped. In fact, you cannot believe it that the police command of the FCT do not even have ordinary tracking device. You cannot believe that.

“Not only them, even the FCT Command of the Department of State Services do not even have. And the only one they have is at the headquarters. So, if there are things to do, they have to go to the headquarters, which is not supposed to be.

‘’Luckily, I told Mr President that look, we have to do something, and there must be emergency procurement of this equipment.”

He explained that his administration had earlier applied to the Bureau of Public Procurement for emergency procurement of equipment for the security agencies, but was denied, until the President gave approval in January, following the abduction of some persons.

Wike also said that the FCT Administration under his leadership planned to purchase drones to enhance and monitor security, particularly at the boundaries of the FCT.

“In fact, that is one of the approvals Mr President gave to us. We are going to purchase our own drones to help in surveillance and in operation, particularly within these boundaries that the topography is so bad, so hilly, and where you have the forests. And we make sure that it is provided in the 2024 statutory budget. I briefed this to the National Assembly yesterday (Wednesday) and they were highly elated,” he said