By Sarah NEGEDU
At least, 19 people were reported to have been kidnapped from Bwari Area Council on Thursday, while 30 other persons were killed in a recent landslide in the Kuje Area Council.
According to the chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, the mishap in Kuje was largely caused by the activities of illegal miners in the area council.
Chiya, who disclosed this at a maiden meeting of the six area council chairmen and the FCT ministers, added that five kidnap victims from Kuje recently gained their freedom after six days in captivity.
The chairman, while speaking on some of the challenges experienced across the area councils, appealed to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, to come to their rescue.
He said, “We have the major challenge of insecurity across the six Area Councils. Just today (Thursday), about 19 people were kidnapped in Bwari Area Council. I just received about five in my council who were in captivity for about six days.
“The next is the development of satellite towns. The issue of sanitation is one of the major challenges confronting us. There is also no efficient transport facility. The Abuja Urban Mass transit buses are no longer functional.
“Then there is the issue of land allocation. You sit in your council, and your backyard will be allocated to someone you don’t even know. Your graveyards and worship centres would be allocated and we are saying that we should be carried along in terms of land allocation.
Also, the Kuje council chairman, Abdullahi Sabo, lamented the menace of illegal miners.
He said; “There is indiscriminate mining licences given out and this has led to insecurity. They give letters of consent to Chinese people.
“Just few days ago, there was a landslide that took the lives of 30 people as a result of the activities of illegal miners. We appeal to you to engage the Minister of Mines to stop mining in the FCT”.
Shocked at the development, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, asked the council bosses to set up surveillance team in their domain to monitor mining activities.
He promised to meet with his counterpart in Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to eliminate illegal mining in the FCT.
Wike, noted that security issues must be taken more serious by the chairmen considering their proximity to the grassroot.
“With the illegal mining activities in your areas, you people need to constitute surveillance team to help the situation.
“I’m going to meet with the Minister of Mining and Steel to discuss over the mining activities in the Federal Capital Territory”
Reacting to the kidnapping in Bwari the minister said, “Insecurity is a major problem all over and those of you who are outside the municipality, you have to work hard. Information is key. The incident of kidnap you talked about, nobody has reported that to me. It is a serious issue and we need to call an emergency security meeting. I have to call the Director of SSS and the CP now to give me more details because it is very embarrassing to me. Though, I am happy you said the SSS official and the DPO in the affected council are informed and on the situation.”