Wike announces Tinubu’s approval for emergency procurement of digital tracking tools to enhance security

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on Monday announced that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given approval for the emergency procurement of digital tracking tools to help halt kidnappers in their tracks.

Wike disclosed this at a media parley in Abuja but said he would prefer not to go into details while saying that the digital tracking tools will help to combat kidnapping.

The FCT Minister also addressed the issue of equipment shortages and emphasized the need for swift procurement of the tools to enhance security measures.

Wike added that the informants recently arrested by security agencies in Abuja are already co-operating and offering actionable intelligence.

“So many facilities were not provided. Vehicles for the security agencies are not there. You cannot believe it that equipment to track criminals are not there,” he said.

“When anything happens, they go back to the Office of the National Security Adviser or to the Force Headquarters. That is not the way it is supposed to be.

“When I was the Governor of Rivers state, the DSS told me they wanted a particular equipment. We were the only state that had it then. In fact, sometimes the headquarters asked for its use.”

According to Wike, that is a special equipment they needed and that equipment, despite knowing how expensive it is, they had it in Rivers and that was able to help the state in reducing the level of crime.

He added that it was able to track the specific phones and not one that would say for example the criminals are around the city.

Wike said with that equipment, it was specific and it can track a particular phone to the exact spot or room.

“So, what we have done with the approval of Mr. President, giving us approval for emergency procurement, we have been able to identify what each of the agencies need and we will be able now to provide them,” he said.

“Again before we came on board, the police had said that they had requested procurement of certain number of motorcycles where vehicles cannot get to- the remote and mountainous areas. Unfortunately, they were not provided but we are going to do that now.

“Security is not just these equipment. You also have to motivate the personnel. I don’t want to talk about the strategies because we are talking security now.”

Wike said so many facilities were not provided and that vehicles for the security agencies are not there.

The former governor of Rivers state said it is unbelievable that the very important equipment to track criminals are not there.

“Assuming Mr. President did not approve this emergency procurement, we had been to the Bureau for Public Procurement since December to allow us to procure under emergency,” Wike said.

“If you don’t and you have to go the whole hog of the processes, it can take you two months and that is not what you tell members of the public, that procurement process is a problem.”