FG has approved the purchase of surveillance equipment to track kidnappers in FCT – Wike

Favour Ishember, Abuja

The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has restated that security agencies in the territory lack digital tracking tools, as his Administration has secured presidential approval to provide drones and other surveillance equipment to track kidnappers in the nation’s capital city.

Wike who stated this in a television interview monitored in Abuja on Thursday
said; “It is unfortunate to say this, that mostly the security agencies, in particular I will say, the Police here, are not adequately equipped.

“In fact, you cannot believe that the Police Command of the FCT does not even have an ordinary tracking device. Not only them, but even the FCT Command of the Department of State Services does not even have”

“And the only one they have is at the headquarters. So, if there are things to do, they have to go to the headquarters, which is not supposed to be. Luckily, I told Mr President that look, we have to do something, and there must be the emergency procurement of these equipment.

“In fact, that is one of the approval Mr President gave to us that we said look, we are going to purchase our own drones to help in surveillance and in operations, particularly within these boundaries that the topography is so bad, is so hilly, and where you have the forests.

“We have made sure that it is provided for in the 2024 statutory budget. I briefed the National Assembly yesterday on this and they were highly elated”, he said.

The FCT Administration had consequently applied to the Bureau of Public Procurement BPP for emergency procurement but which was denied until the presidential intervention in January, Wike said.