To curb kidnappings, killings, and other vices in the Federal Capital Territory, Minister of the FCT Nyesom Wike is expanding policing by erecting new police stations in rural and border communities. This is in fulfilment of his pledge to decentralise policing and bring safety nearer to residents.
The move comes after months of insecurity across parts of the FCT from late 2023 into early 2024, when Abaji, Kwali, and Bwari communities faced repeated abductions, bandit incursions, and kidnapping activities.
In response to the surge in kidnapping, maiming, and killings along border areas, the FCT Minister ordered the immediate establishment of two additional divisional police stations across the six area councils.
A tour of some of the new divisional police stations on Thursday at Tukashare and Saburi in AMAC, Bako in Kwali, Yaba in Abaji, Giri in Gwagwalada, and Ushafa in Bwari Area Councils showed notable progress in the ongoing construction.
At Saburi, Abuja Municipal Area Council, finishing works on the station block and adjoining residential quarters are nearing completion. The complex includes a main administrative building with space for the Divisional Police Officer, his secretary, and other ranks, plus two holding cells with in-built toilets and bathrooms.
The residential block, designed for officers’ accommodation, comprises six two-bedroom flats, each with a kitchen, dining area, and three toilets—an intentional measure to ensure officers stay close to duty posts and respond swiftly to emergencies.
Project engineer Ahmed Yahaya said the project is in its final phase. He noted: “We have completed electrical and plumbing works and are now on finishing fittings. By tomorrow, we’ll commence industrial cleaning, and in two days we should start painting.”
At the Yaba Divisional Police Station in a border community adjoining Niger State, site engineer Ayinde Adewale expressed confidence in meeting the November deadline, citing strong funding from the FCT Administration. “With the level of funding support, we have no doubt about completing on time,” he said.
Adewale highlighted the strategic location of Yaba as a major transit point toward Niger and Kogi States, underscoring the importance of establishing a divisional police command there to deter infiltrations by criminals.
Residents in the beneficiary communities expressed optimism that the new stations will boost safety and restore confidence.
A farmer Musa Yakubu in Yaba remarked that a police presence would spur economic activity, encouraging people to trade farm produce with the security buffer improving. Petty trader Ibrahim Danladi added that fear of staying out late is fading and that people are beginning to feel safer again.
Gwary noted that beyond symbolic presence, each new divisional station follows a national prototype recently approved by the Inspector General of Police. The design was requested by the FCT Minister to ensure uniform standards of functionality and comfort for officers, and the new structures are expected to serve as models for future stations in the territory and nationwide.
The Director of Security Services explained that the Police Resource Centre houses a similar standard, and the FCT projects align with this national benchmark to support efficient policing through both a better physical environment and improved manpower deployment.
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