Kidnapping: Abuja community protest insecurity

Some residents of Pegi community in Kuje Area Council of FCT on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest following recent kidnapping and attacks in the area.
The protesters barricaded the entrance of Kuje Area Council Secretariat, holding placards with inscriptions like: “Kidnappers on rampage in Kuje”, and “Give us security in Pegi community”.
The protesters alleged that the Kuje council and FCT Administration had failed to complete the road project linking Kuje town to the community, and have distorted the original master plan of the community.
Mr Aderibigbe Taiwo, the Leader of the aggrieved persons, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the protest was aimed at drawing the attention of authorities to the insecurity, negligence and hardship on the residents.
“The master plan of Pegi Resettlement site that was originally mapped out in 2005 by the former Minister of the FCT, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, had been altered.
“This community has suffered hardship as a result of infrastructural deficit and security challenges,” he said.
Taiwo said that the activities of armed robbers and motorcycle snatchers have been rampant.
“They always take advantage of the bad road linking the community to attack innocent residents, especially civil servants while returning from work.
“Some gunmen dressed in military camouflage, on Monday night, fired shots at vehicles and over four people were kidnapped and some residents were seriously injured.
“About four persons, including a 10-year-old boy, were among the victims that were kidnapped on Monday in the community.
“The attackers could not be less than 20, as they fired sporadically, bullets deflated tyres and created deep holes on vehicles.”
He said the Monday attack was the second time that kidnapping was recorded in the community recently.
“More than six persons were kidnapped in 2018 at the same location. However, we are pleading with relevant authorities to come to our rescue.
“We, the residents of Pegi community have been neglected and several distortions have been made to the original master plan of our community, we call on the government to also intervene.
“We are also calling on the Kuje Area Council and FCT Minister to come and address the rising spate of insecurity in our community,” Taiwo urged.
Addressing the residents, the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Sabo, assured them of improved security and peace in the area.
He said the area council in synergy with security operatives was on a search and rescue mission to ensure that the victims were rescued.
The chairman also assured that the council would ensure that dilapidated roads in the area are fixed and a police outstation established in the area.
On his part, Mr Harrison Oruruo, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), appealed to the protesters to open the council secretariat gate to prevent miscreants from hijacking the protests.