Favour Ishember, Abuja
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has completed the construction of modern Divisional Police Headquarters and residential quarters in Ushafa and Saburi communities, located in Bwari and Abuja Municipal Area Councils respectively, as part of efforts to enhance security coverage in Abuja’s satellite towns.
Director of the FCTA Security Services Department, Mr Adamu Gwary, described the projects as a significant boost to the fight against crime, saying the new facilities would help eliminate security gaps and improve response to threats in communities outside the city centre.
Gwary disclosed this on Wednesday while inspecting the completed projects, noting that the Ushafa and Saburi police stations had attained 100 per cent completion and were set for official handover.
He added that 10 other Divisional Police Headquarters being constructed across the six area councils had crossed 90 per cent completion, following the directive of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike that contractors should conclude the projects before the end of November.
According to him, the Ushafa and Saburi facilities are part of the 12 Divisional Police Headquarters planned for the FCT, with two located in each area council, to ensure that no community is left without adequate security infrastructure.
“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,” Gwary said.
He explained that the projects were initiated under the FCT Minister’s security agenda aimed at taking crime-fighting infrastructure closer to residents in rural and fringe communities.
Gwary said the newly completed police headquarters was equipped with modern facilities, including a ground floor with a central counter, detention areas, and separate cells for male and female suspects.
He added that the upper floor consists of eight fully furnished offices, including a dedicated office for the Divisional Police Officer (DPO).
To improve police presence and guarantee faster response to emergencies, the facility also includes a three-storey residential building with six fully furnished two-bedroom en-suite apartments for officers.
The residential quarters, he noted, come with dining areas, kitchens, stores and sitting rooms to provide a conducive living environment for personnel deployed to the communities.
The FCTA official further revealed that a technical team from the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) Public Building Department would work with the contractor to inspect the projects and confirm compliance with approved specifications before the final handover.
Gwary recalled that during the security challenges experienced in 2023, Minister Wike held town hall meetings across the six area councils and assured residents that security operations would be decentralised from the city centre to communities.
He said the Ushafa facility, alongside another police station at Igbu, located about 35 kilometres near the FCT-Nasarawa border, would strengthen security around satellite communities and help prevent cross-border criminal activities and kidnapping networks.
“With the November deadline approaching, FCTA is confident that the new police infrastructure will allow residents across satellite communities to carry out daily activities free from the fear of harassment or crime,” he stated.
Reviewing security developments since 2023, Gwary said the FCT had recorded a noticeable decline in kidnapping cases and other violent crimes, attributing the improvement to increased security equipment, expanded infrastructure and stronger action against criminal collaborators.
He warned individuals providing information or assistance to kidnappers and criminal elements that they would face the same legal consequences as the perpetrators.
“The minister did not mince his words in terms of issuing a stern warning to those informants that they will be treated like kidnappers,” Gwary cautioned.
He appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies by providing accurate and timely information on suspicious activities.
Beyond the construction of police facilities, Gwary said the FCTA had intensified logistical support for security agencies and expanded technology-based surveillance across the territory.
He disclosed that the Airport-to-Villa corridor is currently being monitored through advanced surveillance systems operated from the Force Headquarters control room.
He added that the surveillance network would soon be extended beyond presidential routes to cover other vulnerable areas across the FCT.
“Aerial surveillance assets are being finalised for deployment to track criminal elements in rugged terrains,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Site Engineer for the Ushafa project, Mr Kabir Muhammed, appreciated Minister Wike for entrusting his firm with the project, assuring that the construction team worked closely with monitoring and evaluation officials to deliver the facility within the agreed timeline.
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