Fears has returned to the hearts of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents following the recent killing of a staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) by gunmen.
Spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, who confirmed the killing, said detectives were investigating the incident as a suspected assassination.
The FIRS staff, Khalid Bichi, was murdered in the highbrow Maitama area.
The top brass in Abuja, senior government officials, some senators and the Inspector General of Police live in Maitama.
The Guardian learned that Bichi was shot multiple times by his assailants at about 9:00 p.m., when he stepped out to get some food.
He was rushed to the General Hospital, Maitama, but was reportedly confirmed as ‘Brought in Dead’.The deceased, who was popular on social media with the username @Khalid Bichi, was said to be well-connected in political circles.
A source in FIRS, who spoke in confidence, hinted that the late staff was transferred to Lagos two months ago, but lobbied for his posting back to Abuja .
His killing and last week’s raid by kidnappers on Piko, a remote community in Bwari Area Council of Abuja, have sent disturbing signals to residents that insecurity in the nation’s seat of power is not yet over. Thirteen residents were reportedly abducted in that incident.
Recall that kidnappings and killings by unknown gunmen had subsided in the FCT after the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igweh, staged a major operation. Some men of the underworld were caught while others died in gun battles with the police.
But some residents have said that the return of killings and abduction in Abuja show that a lot still needs to be done by the authorities.
One resident, Mr Senator Iroegbu, said the worsening economic situation has led to an increase in crimes and insecurity.
He said: “It is true that the recent killing of a Federal Inland Revenue Service staff by unknown gunmen, as well as robbery incidents in Wuse 2 and other forms of criminalities, have reignited fear about deteriorating security in the nation’s capital.
“This, once again, calls for an urgent need to strengthen security. In recent years, the security situation in the FCT has worsened due to a combination of factors. The surrounding states’ struggles with banditry, terrorism, and transnational criminalities have contributed to the FCT’s security challenges.
“Additionally, the influx of people from other parts of the country, particularly northern Nigeria, has put a strain on the FCT’s resources and infrastructure. Also, the worsening economic situation has also led to an increase in crimes and insecurity.
“To address this, we need to strengthen the defense and security of the FCT. The FCT Minister must prioritise security and take charge of the situation, instead of getting distracted by Rivers State politics.”
