As part of efforts to ensure security of lives and property in the FCT, the Police Command in the territory on Wednesday said it had taken measures to secure markets, motor parks and other public places.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Altine Daniel, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that some of the measures taken include the creation of police outposts in major markets and parks in the territory.
She said the Command had directed Divisional Police Officers to meet regularly with authorities of markets, parks, and owners of businesses to work out strategies on security.
“We have increased the number of patrol vehicles in the FCT. We have also increased the number of men we have in our visibility points.
“We will continue to do that to ensure safety,’’ she said.
Daniel, however, advised authorities in charge of markets, parks and recreation centres to devise private security arrangement to complement the police.
“We have always urged them to make sure they have their own private security arrangement and they have really complied.
“Those yet to comply were advised to so in the interest of their own customers,’’ she said.
NAN learnt that major markets in the territory had put in place some security measures in view the challenges.
The management of Utako modern market told NAN that it had concluded arrangement to instal Closed-Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) in and around the market.
Mr Omutango Atua, the Management Consultant of the market, said the measure would assist the management to monitor movement of suspicious persons and vehicles.
He said the authority had also embarked on a stop-and-search of all vehicles coming and going out of the market.
Auta said the management was also collaborating with security agencies to ensure safety of traders and buyers.
“ Given the present security situation in the country, protection of lives and property is very important,’’ he said, adding that measures had been taken to check hawking and illegal trading.
Mr Ibraheem Suleiman, the Manager of the popular Wuse market, said the authority was collaborating with the security agencies to beef up security in and around the market.
Suleiman said vehicles coming in and going out of the market were being subjected to stop and search as part of measures to enhance security.
He said traders had been instructed to cooperate with the market authority to ensure that vehicles were not parked indiscriminately around the premises.
“We have asked the traders to notify us whenever they are bringing their goods to enable us identify the vehicle for access into the market.
“Right now any truck with goods coming into the market must be properly identified with their owners before being allowed into the market, “Suleiman said
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) also said that it had sensitised its members nationwide on the need to be security conscious in view of the current challenges.
The Public Relations Officer of the union, Mr Kefas Dogan-Yaro, told NAN in Abuja that members had been put on security alert.
Dogan-Yaro said plans were on to instal bomb detectors in motor parks across the nation.
“Security is everybody’s business; if you notice any suspicious person in the parks or any form of threat, do not hesitate to report to the security agencies,’’ he said.
He said owners of “corner shops’’ and petty traders at the parks had been directed to register with the union for identification.
Similarly, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps said it has deployed its personnel across the country to ensure safety of lives and property.
The Deputy spokesperson of the corps, Mr Olusola Odumosu, disclosed this in an interview with NAN in Abuja.
Odumosu, who decried the number of death recorded on daily basis as result of insurgents’ attacks, said the corps had strategically positioned its operatives and equipment to halt the menace.
He also said that the corps had deployed some vehicles equipped with special cameras to parts of the North East to ensure timely information so as to address the lingering insecurity in the area.
Odumosu said each of the van had the capacity to view a distance of more than 500 metres from its location.
