Insecurity: FCT Minister Orders Abuja Hotels to Submit Guest List to Security Agencies

Senator Bala Mlohammed

Embarks on operation ‘know your neighbour campaign’

Senator Iroegbu
In his determination to secure  lives and property in Abuja, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, has directed all hotels to forward a list of their guests to the FCT Directorate of State Security Services (SSS) and the FCT Police Command on a daily basis.

Mohammed announced this directive in a statement signed yesterday by his Special Assistant (Media), Mr. Nosike Ogbuenyi.

According to him, the hotels are equally required to install their individual security cameras within their vicinity and ensure thorough check of all vehicles entering the hotel and within their surroundings.

The minister also directed all residents and residents associations in various parts of the territory to embark on ‘operation know your neighbour’ campaign.

He noted that the measure was to ensure that all criminally-minded elements were detected easily within the FCT.

Mohammed said the security department of FCT Administration (FCTA) would liaise with various security agencies in the FCT on the modalities for implementing the ministerial directives.

He further directed all traditional rulers in the FCT to, “as a matter of necessity, start conducting periodic meetings with various communities within their domains to take stock of strange faces living with them, as well as report all new comers within 48 hours to the local Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and SSS office.”

This, he said, was in furtherance of “operation know your neighbour” campaign.
He enjoined all FCT residents to be vigilant and cautious of strange objects or movements of persons, vehicles around them, as well as stationary vehicles; urging them to report same to the nearest security agencies.

The minister also ordered that all trailers/lorry operators bringing goods to the city shall no longer be allowed to offload their contents at night.  “All offloading shall henceforth be done in the day time under supervision in designated places,” he said.

The directive, according to Mohammed, requires owners of uncompleted and abandoned buildings and structures without security guards to provide same.

“Failure to do so, the FCTA would apply appropriate sanctions,” he warned.
Similarly, he said, the owners plots of land left fallow for a long period of time and not used for any economic or gainful purpose but taken over by criminals would now face appropriate sanctions.
The minister reminded residents that the ban on smoking of Indian hemp and other narcotic substances is still in force in the territory adding that the administration had resolved to clamp down on violators.