By Laide Akinboade, Abuja

In order to boost security, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on Wednesday said it has completed the modern Divisional Police Headquarters and residential staff quarters in Ushafa and Saburi, Bwari and Abuja Municipal Area Councils respectively.

Director of the Security Services Department, FCTA, Adamu Gwary, described the development as a major step toward curbing crime across Abuja’s satellite towns.

Gwary told journalists during a visit to the sites on Wednesday, that the Ushafa and Saburi projects were 100 per cent completed and ready for official handover.

He added that 10 others across other areas councils were more than 90 per cent completed.

He explained that the Ushafa and Saburi facilities were among the 12 Divisional Police Headquarters, two per area council, being constructed across the territory to eliminate security blind spots.

“Out of the 10 ongoing projects, almost all have achieved more than 90 per cent completion, following Wike’s directive for all contractors to wrap up work before the end of November,” he said.

According to him, the strategic projects were part of a broader security initiative ordered by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to take crime-fighting infrastructure directly to the doorsteps of residents in fringe and rural communities.

He explained that the newly constructed Divisional Headquarters features a fully equipped ground floor housing a central counter, detention facilities, and separate cells for male and female suspects.

He added that the upper floor contains eight fully furnished administrative offices, including an executive office for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).

He said that to ensure adequate personnel presence and rapid response times, the complex includes a three-storey residential block comprising six fully furnished two-bedroom ensuite flats, complete with dining areas, kitchens, stores, and sitting rooms for officers.

Gwary added that a technical team from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Public Building Department would join the contractor to verify all specifications against the Bill of Quantities before the official handover is finalised.

He recalled that during the peak of security challenges in 2023, Wike conducted town hall meetings across six area councils and promised residents that security infrastructure would be decentralised away from the city center.

He said that the Ushafa station and another located at Igbu, 35 kilometers away, near the FCT-Nasarawa border, would secure satellite communities while fortifying the territory’s external borders against cross-border criminality and kidnapping rings.

Reflecting on the progress made since 2023, Gwary noted a measurable reduction in reported kidnappings and heinous crimes across the FCT.

He attributed this drop to a combination of enhanced equipment, expanding physical infrastructure, and strict enforcement against internal collaborators.

Reiterating the minister’s firm stance, Gwary reminded residents that informants supplying information to kidnappers and hoodlums would face the same severe legal consequences as the criminals themselves.

He urged residents to continue providing timely and accurate intelligence to security agencies whenever suspicious activities occur.

The director said that beyond physical structures, the FCTA is aggressively expanding its monthly logistics support to security agencies and tech-driven surveillance capabilities.

He disclosed that the Airport-to-Villa corridor is currently being monitored via advanced technology managed from the Force Headquarters control room.

He added that tech-surveillance networks would soon be expanded beyond presidential routes to cover key high-risk corridors.

The Site Engineer for Ushafa project, Kabir Muhammed, thanked Wike for trusting his firm with the project, assuring that the team worked closely with project monitoring and evaluation teams to deliver the facility within schedule.

The Federal Government has declared Thursday as a public holiday to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.

The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the declaration in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo, who made the announcement on behalf of the federal government said that Nigeria unarguably remains the most prosperous black nation in the world.

He reiterated that peace and stability were necessary conditions for the development of any nation.

He called on Nigerians to emulate the nation’s founding fathers by loving Nigeria, thereby building a nation to be proud of.

“As we celebrate 66 years of our independence, we should always remember that there is hope for our country and our diversity is our strength.

“Our collective determination remains the foundation upon which a stronger and more prosperous nation will be built,” Tunji-Ojo said.

The minister reassured Nigerians that the administration of President Bola Tinubu through the Renewed Hope Agenda will ensure a better Nigeria for all citizens, as a befitting tribute to our heroes past.

Tunji-Ojo urged citizens to use the celebration as an opportunity to demonstrate the values of unity, patriotism, peaceful co-existence and mutual respect.

The minister assured Nigerians that the federal government remains committed to strengthening national security.

He added that this would be achieved by improving public safety and creating an environment where citizens can live, work and pursue their legitimate aspirations with confidence.

Tunji-Ojo congratulated all Nigerians, home and abroad on this year’s Independence Day celebration.

The federal government said that the activities for the celebration will be “low key”.

The federal government said the celebration will be reflecting on the contributions, enduring legacies and sacrifices of the founding fathers and heroines, who worked for Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule.

The government said that the achievements recorded by Nigeria since independence were built on the foundation laid by the country’s nationalists, stressing the importance of remembering their sacrifices while reflecting on the nation’s journey since Oct. 1, 1960.(NAN)

Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu has approved the appointment of Hayatu Dallatu and seven others as District Heads to fill vacant positions in the Sultanate Council of Sokoto.

The Secretary to the Sultanate Council, Alhaji Sa’idu Maccido, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Sokoto on Monday.

Maccido said the appointments were based on recommendations of the Sultanate Council.

He added that the formal turbaning ceremony for the new district heads would be performed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, at a later date.

“His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto and the Sultanate Council congratulate the appointees on their well-deserved appointments and wish them a successful tenure and God’s guidance,” he said.

Dallatu, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), was appointed district head of Tudun Wada in Sokoto South Local Government Area.

He is a journalist and media administrator who has worked with Rima Television, Sokoto, and the Voice of Nigeria (VON).

Until his appointment, Dallatu was the General Manager of Alu FM, Sokoto.

Other appointees include Salihu Kadadi, district head of Kadadi; Isah Daudu, district head of Gidan Madi; and Gidado Muhammad, district head of Dabagin Ardo.

Others are Abdullahi Muhammed, district head of Danchadi; Umar Shehu, district head of Goronyo; Kabiru Marafa, district head of Tsaki; and Muhammadu Buhari, district head of Wajake.(NAN)