Security: FG orders registration of foreign ‘aliens’ in Federal Capital Territory, Satellite Towns

The federal government has ordered that all foreign ‘aliens’ living within Abuja and its surrounding area councils be officially registered.

Bala Mohammed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and a member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave this directive Thursday to all chairmen of the six area councils. They will in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) begin the process of cataloguing all immigrants in their respective jurisdictions.

Mohammed issued the order during an

enlarged security meeting of the FCT to review the security situation within the nation’s capital city. Over the past three years, Nigeria’s seat of power has experienced several violent attacks by insurgents; most recently last Thursday, an attack at a busy shopping mall that left many dead and injured.

The affected area councils are Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Kuje and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

In the bid to checkmate the activities of insurgents, the administration had on Monday, June 30 directed all the hotels operating within the capital city to daily submit the list of their guests to the FCT Directorate of the State Security Services (SSS) and FCT Police Command. It also mandated all the hotels to install independent security cameras within their vicinity and ensure thorough check of all vehicles entering the hotel and within their surroundings.

While addressing the stakeholders, the Minister directed the chairmen of the Area councils to continue with their regular security meetings in their respective areas with the traditional rulers, community leaders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and other stakeholders.

Mohammed who stressed the need to strengthen security at all shopping malls and markets in the FCT particularly in the metropolis, assured that the administration is liaising with appropriate security agencies towards the re-opening of the EMAB shopping Plaza scene of last week’s bombing to normal business activities.

Already, the owners and Management of the ever busy shopping plaza have been given standard security requirements to be put in place before the plaza can be re-opened for business activities.

Mohammed equally directed that the shopping centers and plazas along the crowded Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 and along all other busy corridors in the city and the satellite towns be similarly made to comply with the new security template.

The ownership and management of the plazas are also required to cooperate fully with the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other agencies to checkmate hawking around the shopping centers especially in areas that are considered soft targets for terrorist attacks.

Meanwhile, the FCT Road Traffic Services Department and the Police will begin ejecting all persons carrying out commercial or begging activities on the various pedestrian bridges.

Giving an update on the number of casualties following the EMAB Plaza terror attack of last Thursday, Demola Onakomaiya, FCT Secretary of Health and Human Services, disclosed that the casualty figure has risen to 24 following the death of three more victims on admission in hospitals.

He said two victims died in the National hospital while one died in Maitama District hospital.

BusinessDay