Lawmaker advocates use of drones, cameras to tackle insecurity in Abuja

A member of the House of Representatives, Chinedu Obika, has called for the deployment of drones and cameras to tackle insecurity in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Obika, who represents Bwari/AMAC federal constituency, made the call while speaking with journalists on Thursday, adding that there are “several situations of insecurity woes” in the nation’s capital which require urgent attention.

According to him, most of the insecurity cases often go unreported, leaving residents at the mercy of criminals.

He said some locations in Abuja, such as under the bridges, are “totally infested with criminals” who kill to dispossess owners of their personal belongings.

“Severally, we have received reports of people who are tracked and picked up just in front of their gates.

Read also: Reps score FCT chairmen low on security, infrastructure, education, others

“As if these were not enough, another dimension to the criminality has been introduced by hoodlums who mob passers-by upon choreographed fake alarms of missing genitals, and use the ensuing chaos to dispossess innocent victims of their phones and valuables.

“That Abuja is no longer safe is no more in doubt. Residents keep asking whether the security of Abuja is slipping through our fingers.

“There is an urgent demand for us to restore the hopes of both the citizens and investors in this our dream city.”

The lawmaker, while calling on President Bola Tinubu to create a special security intervention fund for the overhaul of the FCT security architecture, said the FCT administration should develop a strategic initiative and deploy “smart technologies in the nooks and crannies of the city and satellite towns”.

“This is achievable through deploying CCTVs, drones, and other integrated electronic surveillance systems, among others,” he said.

Accordong to him, more work should be done in intelligence gathering and “blind spots like surrounding bushes should be periodically raided, while uncompleted buildings should be adequately evacuated or policed”.

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