•FCT sitting on keg of gunpowder, lawmaker says, seeks urgent action to avert crisis  

•Eruku youths protest over bandits attack 

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Chief of Army Staff, Major-General Waidi Shaibu, has said the Army under his watch was doing its best towards tackling  insecurity in the country.

The COAS stated this during an Operational Visit to One Division, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Kaduna, yesterday.

He further reassured both his troops and the public of his unwavering commitment to the countrys security mission.

According to him, One Division was a key formation under Operation Fansan Yamma.

First and foremost is to appreciate the troops for their commitment and sacrifice and what they are doing to stem the tide of security across the country, he said.

He described his tour as a medium operational visit to various formations and units.

Turning his attention to the Nigerian people, Shaibu acknowledged rising expectations.

The armed forces, the army, were doing our very best to ensure that we tackle the security challenges across our country, he said.

He remained cautiously optimistic, adding that, With time, of course, well start having very good results.

He urged the officers and soldiers to continue their work with professionalism.

My charge to them (Soldiers) is that they should continue doing what they are doing professionally and remain committed towards the cause of the mission we are giving them and ensure mission success, he said.

He  emphasised that their dedication was critical to achieving the missions goals.

The COAS had earlier met with the senior officers at the Division before commissioning a Solder Cafeteria.

FCT Sitting on Keg of Gunpowder, Says Obika, Seeks Urgent Action to Avert Crisis

The lawmaker representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Joshua Chinedu Obika, has warned that Abuja was sitting on a keg of gunpowder. 

He urged President Bola Tinubu and the nations security establishment to act decisively before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) tips into a full-blown security disaster.

This was as youth in Eruku town in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, yesterday, embarked on a major  peaceful protest following a late-night attack on the community by bandits.

However, Obika sounded the alarm at the inauguration of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) FCT Chapters Reputation Tree project in Abuja, where a symbolic Flame of the Forest tree was planted at the Wuye Interchange as part of the Institutes 35th anniversary activities.

Speaking with unusual candour, the lawmaker declared that the security situation in and around Abuja had deteriorated to a level that should worry every citizen, noting that he was speaking not even as a representative, but as a deeply worried Nigerian.

The lawmaker revealed that he had personally written to the president to draw attention to what he described as the dangerous pressure being placed on Abujas infrastructure and security framework as a result of mass migration from unsafe regions into the capital city.

He said, The FCT is overwhelmed. Health, education and particularly security agencies are operating far beyond original capacity.

This is because insecurity is pushing people into Abuja in unprecedented numbers, we are now dealing with a population the city was never designed to manage.

Obika advocated that Abuja should serve as the pilot location for the long-debated state police model, saying the arrangement would not require constitutional amendment since the National Assembly serves as the legislative authority for the FCT.

All we need is an amendment to the Police Act. With a small percentage of the FCTs internally generated revenue and existing federal allocations, we can build more police stations, acquire vehicles, deploy drones and strengthen security operations, he said.

He, therefore, warned of dire consequences if the insecurity in the city was not addressed urgently, including a potential diplomatic crisis.

Eruku Youths Protest Over Bandits Attack 

Meanwhile, the protesting Eruku youth blocked the IlorinKabba highway at the entrance of the town, causing heavy traffic disruption. 

When our correspondent visited the area at about 3:00 pm, several articulated vehicles heading towards Kogi State were stranded.

The youths alleged that Tuesdays attack, which lasted close to an hour, occurred without any response from security operatives stationed in the community.

One of the protesters, Timothy Joshua, who said his wife and granddaughter were among those abducted in a church during the attack, accused the police of failing to intervene.

He alleged that attempts by community youths to chase the attackers were met with tear gas from police personnel, allowing the bandits to escape.

A youth leader, Peter Adesiyan, also criticised the police, saying despite the communitys support in building facilities for the division, officers did not act when residents needed them most.

Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, later visited the town in company with the State Director of the Department of State Services. 

He assured residents that additional personnel and an Armoured Personnel Carrier would be deployed to boost security in the area.

The traditional ruler of the town, Oba Busari Arinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, appealed to the youths to remain calm and allow security agencies to carry out their investigations.

In a related development, the Emir of Ilorin and Chairman Kwara State Traditional Rulers Council, Mai-Martaba Alhaji  Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari and the Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Yakubu Danladi-Salihu, have  condemned Tuesdays attack on some church worshippers in Eruku town, in  Ekiti Local government area of the state.

The Emir and Speaker made the condemnation in Ilorin in a separate statement issued on the Eruku bandits attack.

Alhaji Sulu-Gambari, in a statement by his Press Secretary, Dr. Abdulazeez Arowona, expressed concern over the incident, stressing that, It is most unfortunate, condemnable and worrisome.

He noted that he was saddened that the dastardly and unpatriotic act occurred when governments at all levels were making concerted efforts towards getting ridding the nation of banditry, terrorism and other felonious acts.

The Emir however appealed to security agencies to intensify efforts by mobilising forces for the safe return of all the kidnapped victims even as he mourned those who were killed during the attack.

The Speaker, on his part, commiserated  with the Christian faithful, the Eruku community, and the King of Eruku Kingdom in Ekiti Local Government Area of our state, HRH Oba Busari Ayinde Oyediran Olanrewaju, over the attack.

He said, The barbaric attack on worshippers and the people of Eruku has left us deeply troubled; our hearts bleed, and our condolences go to the victims of the tragedy.

While acknowledging the efforts of the state and federal governments to contain the menace and save lives from the marauders, he said, I assure our people that, as lawmakers, no stone will be left unturned until normalcy is restored in the affected communities.

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