By Ben Adoga, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has tasked the security agencies of the seven member states contiguous to the FCT with halting cross-border crimes in their states and the nation’s capital.
He charged them to intensify intelligence sharing and joint operations to nip cross-border crimes threatening the FCT and other member states in the bud.
Wike gave the charge at the opening of the G-7 States Technical Committee Meeting, which was held on Thursday at the Nigeria Police Resource Centre, in Jabi, Abuja.
He noted that the complexity of emerging threats, ranging from kidnapping and banditry to human and drug trafficking, required synergy, collaboration, and innovative strategies to tackle.
“The nature of threats has become increasingly dynamic, and criminal elements are exploiting technology and porous boundaries. Only through coordinated operations can we overcome them,” Wike said.
The FCT Minister was represented by the FCT Head of Service, Mrs Grace Adayilo.
The G-7 Security Forum was established in 2007 to bring together security chiefs from the FCT, Niger State, Nasarawa State, Kogi State, and Kaduna State. Others are Benue and Plateau states.
Their mandate is to share intelligence, review security trends, and develop joint strategies to address security threats along their common borders. The latest meeting was convened following reports of a resurgence in criminal activities across the fringes of the FCT.
Wike commended security operatives for their sacrifices and reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to providing resources and platforms to strengthen regional security cooperation.
Speaking, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the G-7 collaboration has proven to be relevant over the years and that it is better and easier to work together, as only a little can be achieved individually.
“Alone, each state may not achieve the desired results, but when seven states come together to fight a common enemy, the outcome is always greater,” he said, urging members to develop lasting strategies that align with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
AIG Usaini Gumel represented the IGP.
FCT Commissioner of Police and Chairman of the G-7 Technical Committee, CP Ajao Adewale, also called for deeper inter-agency collaboration and sustained intelligence sharing.
Citing recent successes, he revealed how the arrest of a Nasarawa-based kidnap kingpin led to the capture of another leader, Muhammad Tahir, who had coordinated operations across Nasarawa and Plateau states.
He said that over N7.4 million ransom obtained from their victims’ relatives and friends was recovered from the group. “This case shows that cross-border crime cannot be fought in isolation but through intelligence-driven collaboration,” Adewale stressed.
The Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison, Maj Gen Alechenu Alechenu, described the G-7 initiative as a critical framework for tackling sophisticated criminal networks.
He pledged the military’s continued support to civil authorities in protecting the FCT and its neighbouring states, warning that no single agency can win the war against insecurity alone.
Also, Brigadier General Bisi Onasanya from the Guards Brigade underscored the critical link between security and economic growth, stressing that nations cannot thrive when the safety of lives and property is compromised.
He noted that the convergence of the G7 Commissioners of Police, heads of military formations, and senior security officials was not only timely but also strategic in reinforcing collaboration towards safeguarding the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and its contiguous states.
He warned against complacency in the face of current security gains. “It will be hazardous for us to rest on our oars now because it is not yet Uhuru.
This gathering must translate into actionable strategies that guarantee that every man and woman in the FCT and neighbouring states can go to bed with their two eyes closed,” he noted.
The meeting also spotlighted the impact of insecurity on education. The Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Education Secretariat, Dr. Danlami Hayyo, warned that abductions of teachers in rural communities were worsening the out-of-school children crisis despite the government’s renovation of 73 public schools.
Similarly, the Mandate Secretary for Women Affairs, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, stressed that insecurity in vulnerable communities was discouraging teachers from serving and pushing more children out of the classrooms.
The G-7 Committee is expected to identify vulnerable areas, develop operational strategies, and recommend measures to enhance security in the North Central states, where the G-7 is based, and the FCT in particular.
