Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has rejected claims of persistent banditry in Abuja.
Wike, during an inspection of ongoing projects in the federal capital on Monday, acknowledged incidents of crime, but insisted that reports of banditry are exaggerated.
According to Wike, the nation’s capital remains secure and that the security agencies are effectively tackling crime.
While praising the dedication of security agencies, Wike called for public recognition of their efforts.
He said, “I have always said, we only hear one incident but nobody has said, we have been able to curb or reduce this. There is nowhere in this world, be it any developed country, where you will see there is no form of crime.
“I don’t believe there is banditry in Abuja. But again, it is a city where people want to go and do all kinds of things, kidnapping, this and that.
“So, it will be difficult for anybody to say that in a city that you don’t have one form of crime or another. So, there is no recurrence of banditry. There is no banditry in Abuja. I know that last time some people were kidnapped in Bwari but they were all rescued.
“What’s important is what measures, how serious the security agencies take this. As far as I am concerned, they are really taking their work very seriously. And we need to give them the necessary support.
“We do not need to always advertise one crime when they have stopped about 50 crimes. And nobody has come out to commend the security agencies, to commend the administration for being able to reduce the crime.
“I think we should commend the security agencies, and they will continue to improve.”