Favour Ishember, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reassured residents that the recent rabies outbreak is under control, urging the public to remain calm as authorities intensify a large-scale vaccination campaign targeting up to 20,000 dogs across the territory.
The Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), Comrade Abdullahi Suleiman Ango, gave the assurance on Wednesday after leading a monitoring and evaluation visit to Kuje and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
He said the administration has taken swift and decisive steps to contain the outbreak and protect public health.
According to Ango, the FCTA, under the leadership of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has the capacity and commitment to eliminate the rabies threat through prompt intervention and coordinated action.
He explained that, following the initial cases recorded in Gwagwalada and Kuje Area Councils, no additional infections have been reported anywhere in the FCT due to the rapid response of veterinary professionals.
Ango urged residents not to panic, stressing that the government remains fully committed to safeguarding lives and will continue taking all necessary measures to address the situation.
“Residents should remain calm. The government is fully behind them, and whatever needs to be done will be done at the right time,” he said.
He also praised the leadership of the FCT Minister, describing Nyesom Wike as a proactive and results-driven administrator whose dedication to service has strengthened the government’s response to the outbreak.
The Mandate Secretary noted that his inspection of the vaccination exercise in the area councils was aimed at ensuring transparency, effective supervision, and accurate feedback to the Minister, whose immediate approval made the emergency intervention possible.
Ango disclosed that the two-week vaccination campaign is expected to immunize between 15,000 and 20,000 dogs across all 62 wards in the six area councils of the FCT. He expressed confidence that achieving this target would significantly curb the spread of the virus.
To ensure the success of the exercise, the Secretariat has deployed more than 100 trained veterinary officers, a workforce Ango believes is adequate to deliver full coverage within the scheduled timeframe.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Director of Veterinary Services at the Secretariat, Dr. Karnak Dandam, described rabies as a fatal disease that is entirely preventable when dogs, the primary carriers are vaccinated.
He revealed that the FCTA currently has more than 12,000 doses of rabies vaccines, which are being administered across communities in the six area councils.
Dr. Dandam also commended the level of public participation, noting that local council officials in Kuje and residents of communities such as Bassan Jiwa village have actively supported the vaccination campaign.
Residents benefiting from the exercise applauded the administration’s prompt response. Nation Yusuf, who brought his dogs for their first rabies vaccination, expressed satisfaction with the free service and the professionalism of the veterinary team.
Another beneficiary, Bashir Yusuf, a local hunter who presented three of his dogs for treatment, praised the FCTA for providing timely veterinary care at no cost, describing the intervention as a welcome relief for dog owners across the Territory.
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