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The Abuja Youth Forum has faulted the claim by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), that Abuja is the safest city in Nigeria.
The group, led by Comrade Ayuba Danladi, said the minister’s remark amounted to “political theatre” in the face of rising insecurity in the capital.
The forum cited recent incidents, including the killing of Dr Ifeanyi Ogbu, a renowned veterinary doctor and immediate past chairman of the Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) FCT chapter.
Ogbu was abducted from his Kubwa residence alongside his three children by gunmen and later found dead by the roadside. His children remain missing.
The group also recalled the murder of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, an Arise News anchor who was killed in an armed robbery at her Katampe home last week. Her death drew widespread outrage and condemnation, with many Nigerians questioning the government’s commitment to security.
“These headline tragedies are not isolated,” the youth forum said, pointing to the surge in one-chance robberies, a spate of carjackings in the city centre and repeated cases of vandalism of critical infrastructure, including transmission cables that have plunged parts of Abuja into darkness.
The group argued that Wike’s insistence that Abuja is safe fails to address the experiences of residents who live in fear of violent attacks.
“Abuja is not Rivers where political posturing may have been tolerated. The people of the FCT will not be railroaded into accepting assurances in place of safety,” the statement said.
Danladi reminded the minister that he is an appointee of the federal government, not “an emperor of the territory,” and urged him to face the problem squarely.
“The first step to solving insecurity is to admit that it exists. Denial is a dangerous luxury when citizens are being killed, kidnapped and terrorised,” he said.
The forum called for a complete overhaul of the FCT security architecture, urging the involvement of youth leaders, traditional rulers and religious leaders in a community-based policing strategy.
It also demanded an independent review of security operations, rapid rescue efforts for kidnapped victims and regular briefings by police and the minister’s office to keep residents informed.
“Accepting that a problem exists is the first step to solving it. Words without sustained, transparent action are unacceptable,” the group added.
The Abuja Youth Forum pledged to work with security agencies and community stakeholders to restore safety in the capital, warning that it will hold public officials accountable when they fail in their duties.
