Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over rising cost of living and insecurity due to shortage of fuel and electricity in the last three weeks.
The residents, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews in Abuja, said there had been rise in insecurity as a result of persistent power outage.
In Chika and Aleyita communities, located along Airport Road in the FCT, which recorded upsurge of armed robbery within the period, residents said it was due to epileptic power supply.
The residents said armed robbers were having a field day at night, dispossessing many of their valuables.
A victim, Mr Solomon Odeniyi, who is a resident of Chika, said that he was robbed and injured by a gang of armed robbers, numbering more than 20.
Odeniyi, who sustained injuries during the attack, told NAN that the criminals came to his compound at about 3.00a.m. broke his door, collected all his money, an iPhone and an Android phone.
The victim said that the robbers injured him, because they felt they did not get enough from him.
“The armed robbers are taking advantage of the darkness because there is no light in our area.
“Secondly, they are familiar with the environment because they avoided some houses, especially those that the gates are always closed in the day time,” he said.
In Aleyta, the residents organised themselves to form a vigilante group to prevent themselves from attacks by hoodlums.
A resident, who pleaded anonymity told NAN that the vigilantes were able to overpower the criminals and apprehended three, who they handed over to the police.
The resident, who said one of the criminals lost his life in the encounter, also attributed the increased criminal activities in the area to constant blackout, especially at night.
A police officer attached to Galadimawa Police Division, who spoke with NAN, anonymously, assured the residents of their readiness to fight crime in the communities.
He urged the residents to be at alert and report any activity they considered as threat to the police through their emergency numbers or the phone number of any of the officers.
In Lugbe, some of the residents called on government to install in solar power street light, as a means of solving the incessant energy crisis and insecurity in the area.
They urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to develop a programme for alternative energy supply in the FCT.
Mr Abolade Ogundimu, a Communication Specialist, resident in Lugbe said the installation of solar powered lighting on roads would reduce insecurity.
According to him, massive installation of solar-powered Close Circuit Television (CCTV) within the territory will make communities safe from criminals.
Ogundimu said criminals mostly succeed in their operations each time there was power outage in the neighbourhood, due to the deafening sound of generators which prevent people from hearing victims call for help.
He said that the absence of public lightings or power outage in some parts of FCT, especially on major highways, usually leave commuters at the mercy of armed robbers and other miscreants.
Ogundimu, however, acknowledged that the FCTA and security agencies within the territory were doing their best, noting that there was room for improvement to salvage the situation.
Meanwhile, residents of Kubwa in the FCT, said that the growing queues in filling stations have resulted to hike in the cost of transportation in the territory.
A banker, Ms. Aina Bamishayo said the development had made life more difficult for Nigerians, who were already getting frustrated because of the prevailing economic hardship in the country.
“The hardship is becoming too much for Nigerians with this sudden scarcity, transport fares have skyrocketed in all routes. Most people will not be able to cope with all these,” she said.
NAN gathered that a trip from Kubwa to Wuse, has gone up to N400 from N300, while from Kubwa to Zuba was up from N100 to N200.
Motorists pay as much as N4,000 for 10 litres of petrol from hawkers.
Mr Danjuma Ahmed, a hawker of PMS told NAN that they usually bought 10 litres of petrol at N3,000 from the filling stations.
“People think we make much gain but that is not true, we also buy at a high price from the filling stations.
“Our prayers is for this scarcity to end because with the current price, a lot of people prefer to leave everything and queue up until they get from a filling station, making our sales to slow down,” he said.
In Kuje Area Council in the FCT, some the residents said although the energy crisis had led to increase in criminality, the problem had been exacerbated by “hunger and poverty”.
They said criminals in the area operated both in darkness and in day light.
Mr Mohammed Attah, a resident of Shadadi community in Kuje, said the major security challenge in the community was house breaking and theft.
He said the perpetrator use car jack to expand burglary to have access to a house.
According to him, Zone K of the community recorded over 10 cases of such attacks within two weeks, even when there is power supply.
“The increasing level of crime in the country is not because of electricity problem, but because of poverty and hunger in the land.
“It is poverty and hunger that will make a man to take the risk of carrying car jack to another person’s house to expand burglary and have access to steal phones.
“Because they know we have security in the community, they perpetrate this act, either before our vigilante resumes or when they have closed but where I am still confused is that they always operate when owners of the houses are sleeping.
“They do this and the people will remain sleeping without knowing until they have gone, except in one or two cases where the occupants noticed and raised alarm and the people ran away,” he said.
Attah called on government and other stakeholders to address the problem of hunger and poverty in the country to reduce the increasing level criminality.
Mr Danjuma Yakubu, a resident of Kuchyako area of Kuje said the recent incidences of robbery attack in the area occurred between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. when there was power supply.
He said the robbers always came in large numbers, but were repelled in their recent attempt, because of the central security alarm installed by the community.
Yakubu called for improved security patrol, especially between 12 a.m. and 4 a.m. to compliment local security arrangements put in place by communities.
“Robbery attacks these days are not stopped because there is light. I think what communities should do is to ensure they have vigilantes that will alert them when there is something happening in the community.
“I think it is time for security agencies, especially the police to improve on their patrol in view of the increasing level of insecurity, to complement the efforts of local vigilantes in communities,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has expressed concerns over criminal activities in the FCT since the power outages and fuel scarcity began.
Mr Olusola Odumosu, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of NSCDC told NAN that there had been deliberate and willful destruction of critical national assets and infrastructure by criminals within the period.
Odumosu said that the Corps was working in synergy with sister agencies to ensure that such criminals were arrested and prosecuted.
He called on parents to caution their wards to be mindful of their movements at night to avoid black spots.
The spokesman urged residents to be security conscious at all times and ensure that the doors of their houses were always locked.
He added that residents should be conscious of strange movements or activities around their environment, avoid late night movements and report any suspicious activity to security agencies.
Odumosu said security was a collective responsibility, as such all hands must be on deck to secure lives and property in the country.
According to him, citizens must be involved in community policing to assist security agencies with useful information to arrest criminal activities even before they are carried out.
On its part, the Federal Fire Service (FFS) has called on Nigerians to desist from storing petrol in their cars and homes to avoid fire outbreak.
Mr Paul Abraham, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Service told NAN that in spite of repeated warnings, some Nigerians “still bribe and plead with filling station attendants to sell in jerry cans”.
According to him, it is important that agencies responsible for enforcement of restriction of black market sales of fuel to move into action, as fuel hawking is gradually becoming normal in the FCT.
