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Nigerians should not panic when there is armed robbery –Modibbo

By Atser Godwin

As the Yuletide season approaches, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Dr. Aliyu Modibbo, spoke with journalists on security issues and what government is doing in tackling armed robbers. Atser Godwin was there

Atser Godwin and Rasheed Bisiriyu Alhaji Aliyu Modibbo

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It seems the security situation is

not improving in the country.

Security involves everybody and we all should be concerned. The reason why some countries have low crime rate is because everybody is involved. So before the criminal goes into the neighbourhood, he knows that there are other people who will dare him and make sure that he does not get away. Even the vigilante that we are talking about, not people like us? One of my advisers on security, Ali Kwara for instance, is a very ordinary human being but he gets the criminals through interacting with the people.

What steps have you taken to improve security in the FCT?

We have been very serious about security and the first step, in my view, is to take out the fear of these criminals because they should not intimidate us and hold us to ransom. When we assumed office in July, the security situation in the territory was quite worrisome. Cars were being snatched at gunpoint on a daily basis; homes were being invaded, businesses, particularly banks were being hit. The most intolerable was that people were being killed.

So, what has been done to solve the problem?

Security became my number one priority. I appointed an experienced retired military officer, Colonel John Madaki, former governor of Katsina State, as my Security Adviser. Working with the FCT security committee, I set up the Abuja Crime Control Squad. We provided them with vehicles and communication gadgets, and we have daily allowances for each member of the squad. You may recall that the FCT followed up with the donation of a helicopter to the Nigeria Police. Only last week we donated an ambulance as well as horses to the police for the purpose of patrolling neigbourhoods.

Now, we can confidently say that Abuja is safer. Not a single bank has been robbed since ACCOS started. There have been a few car hijack attempts but they were all foiled. The city is now safe but we are not resting on our oars. We are working hard to secure the whole territory and we are collaborating with adjourning states in the war against hoodlums.

What role can ordinary Nigerian play to boost security?

It is important to alert the citizens of their role in stopping crime. The moment people hear armed robbers are around, everybody starts running. People should, upon hearing about the activities of armed robbers and hoodlums, brace up and not panic. That is number one.

Secondly, we need to police ourselves. We should be ready to inform the police or other security agencies of suspicious people and developments. The notion that if people act as police informants they will become targets should be done away with. Even other authorities like the local government and area council chairmen should be informed about the activities of armed robbers and miscreants. At the federal level in Abuja, you have ministers and the State Security Services. People should try and pass on information and the authorities will investigate quietly without revealing even who passed on the information.

Now, do you see Abuja security operatives getting to the level of sophistication like those in countries with lower crime rates?

It is true that we need sophistication, let me tell you that we have to link you back to the response I gave you in terms of people really being proactive and being calm. In this regard, we may even have to begin the teaching of drills. In some countries, even in primary schools and work places, people are taught drills on how to be prepared for emergencies. For instance, how many of our banks organise drills for their workers? This is the scenario. If there is armed robbery, the step one; step two and step three of what you are going to do is very important. First of all stay calm; second, look for the next exit, and third, raise the alarm. All these are basic things.

Even if we have 1,000 helicopters hovering the skies, unless people are proactive and calm, it will all come to nothing. Regrettably, however, some of our policemen also panic at the sight of armed robbers because some of them are not well-trained. There are, indeed, some policemen that are not well trained. So, it is not just acquiring sophisticated equipment. Maybe we are not just doing the right thing.

Is it not better to engage retired security officers so that they can have an active role in policing?

Not really, but I would also want to appeal to our ex-service men not to just sit around doing nothing and feeling sorry for themselves. There is a lot of work regarding security matters for them to do out of retirement. They can use their training to create security outfits and properly train the personnel, and Nigerians are ready for this. Homeowners are ready to hire well-trained security operatives and, even the banks are always ready to employ such services. It is not nice seeing somebody who has retired after been, for example, in the army for 20 to 30 years and has been trained all over the world just going from office to office looking for contract.

Such retirees should make optimum use of their training to assist and enrich the country. Security is a big business; so why should such people sit there and lose hope as if their retirement is the end of life. It is not and they should start something productive so that the country will benefit from them.

Some residents of Abuja, especially Federal Civil servants have continued to raise complaints over their forceful ejection from their residence without authorisation. What is the situation on the sale of Federal Government houses?

First, let me say that the sale of Federal Government houses started in 2003 as a result of the policy of government to divest from houses or government quarters and monetise. A tally was done and I think about 30,000 houses were earmarked for sale and out of that 30,000, it was divided in this way; you have the career civil servants and you have public political holders. So, the career civil servants were asked to pay just replacement cost of only the houses. That is why civil servants in Maitama are paying N5m for a three or four bedroom house, when you know that actually the cost of the land in Maitama is more than N30m.

Meanwhile, the political office holders, meaning people like me who is a minister; people that have political offices and happen to be in government quarters, are supposed to pay the market value, which means that the house will be advertised in newspapers which was done by the previous administration and then the bids will be taken. The next step is for you to match the bids if you are the resident. So, that is the basic thing about the process.

So far, out of the 30,000 houses, 26,000 of them have been sold and paid for. That is the most important thing because of the realisation that career civil servants may not get all the money. Even the N5m is a lot of money to a lot of people. So, mortgages were created where you go to access funds after you get your allocation. The bank will pay the balance. Many people have paid for the houses. But the one-bedroom apartment like those in Nyanya where every body shares the toilet and other things are becoming difficult for us to sell. There are also some in Karu, Abaji, Kwali and other satellite towns but the actual ones are in the city.

Since I came on board I have been troubled with this housing matter and I know that Mr. President did not appoint me as minister of housing allocation, just to come and sell houses. This is not the job of the minister of the FCT. His job involves security, amongst others. Secondly, it is to create development and viable opportunities for Nigerians to come and make a living here or to create first class infrastructure and not to waste time on sale of houses.

But there are complaints that those who eject people out of the houses do not give notice or identify themselves.

I agree with you. Maybe the method may not be right. You know our people, but I have to investigate to find out. I have not received any actual written complaints saying that somebody had been molested or abused. All what some of the people are doing is just to make excuses. That’s beside the point. You have not paid for your house and somebody is waiting and ready to pay and that person is not from Europe or from Asia. It is somebody like you, a Nigerian who has the right like you. It is either you pay or you let another Nigerian pay.