Nineteen individuals were kidnapped in the Bwari Area Council of the FCT. Kidnappings are a serious concern and threat to public safety in many regions, including Nigeria.

Landslide in Kuje Area Council: About 30 people lost their lives in a recent landslide in the Kuje Area Council. The activities of illegal miners reportedly caused the landslide. [caption id="attachment_9884" align="alignnone" width="650"] Nyesom Wike orders surveillance in Abuja. Photo: Channels[/caption] The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed his concern over the landslide and kidnappings in Abuja. He has urged the director of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commissioner of Police to gather more information and updates on these incidents. Wike urged the chairmen of the Area Councils to establish surveillance task forces in their respective areas to monitor mining activities. The former governor of Rivers State further disclosed that he would meet with the Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake, to discuss ways to eliminate illegal mining in the FCT. This reiterated his commitment to tackling the root causes of the issues related to mining in the region. The chairman of Kwali Area Council, Danladi Chiya, appealed to the FCT Minister and Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, for assistance in addressing the challenges faced by the councils, presumably including security and infrastructure issues. He said via Guardian: “When we heard about your appointment, we were happy because you have been a council chairman and therefore understand our challenges. “Our problems are inadequate funding of the local government system. We have the major challenge of insecurity across the six area councils. Just today (yesterday), about 19 people were kidnapped in Bwari Area Council. “The next is the development of satellite towns. The issue of sanitation is one of the major challenges confronting us. There is also no efficient transport facility. The Abuja Urban Mass transit buses are no longer functional.”