The FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, has assured residents of heightened security across worship centres and across the nation’s capital under the newly relaunched Operation Sweep.
Dantawaye said massive deployments are being made around churches, mosques and other public places.
“On Fridays, we are going to secure almost all, if not all, the mosques. And on Sundays, we will do the same for the churches,” the CP said while addressing journalists after the FCT Security Council meeting held on Wednesday and chaired by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Dantawaye described the discussion as an “expanded meeting” involving all senior security chiefs and top officials of the FCT Administration, convened to strengthen security strategies across the territory.
According to him, Operation Sweep, which resumed on Tuesday, is a multi-agency security initiative activated to curb rising criminal threats across Abuja and its outskirts, it brings together the police, military, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), immigration, correctional service and other agencies in a coordinated security push across the FCT.
Dantawaye said the operation has been divided into four major sectors covering the entire territory.
He said, “These include the Gwagwalada Sector, the Bwari Sector, and two sectors domiciled in the City Centre. These sectors will capture locations from Berger, Wuse, up to Karu, Mararaba, Karshi, and Orozo. The operation has fully kick-started.”
The Commissioner explained that the end-of-year period often witnesses an uptick in crime, making the timing necessary.
He praised Minister Wike for providing “adequate logistics” to ensure the seamless recommencement of the coordinated security effort.
Dantawaye emphasised that one of the core aims of Operation Sweep is to prevent the type of kidnappings and school invasions recorded in other states.
“We think the Federal Capital Territory should never experience that,” he said.
He disclosed that security teams have intensified patrols, intelligence gathering and surveillance, especially around the fringes of the FCT where criminals are more likely to attempt attacks.
“Schools are being patrolled, profiled and well secured. We are building confidence in them,” he said.
The CP also clarified two incidents that caused panic on Tuesday, one at Veritas University and another at a secondary school in Tunga Maje, which he described as false alarms.
“In both cases, within five minutes security agencies responded. No bandit attack was attempted,” he noted.
He urged residents to maintain normal daily activities while sharing relevant intelligence with security agencies.
Dantawaye revealed that four One-Chance robbery syndicates have recently been apprehended, with Operation Sweep expected to further “address most of these things.”
He also raised concerns over criminally minded dispatch riders who steal phones and attempt to resell them.
“When you conduct a search, you see one or two phones they can’t unlock, until the real owner is contacted,” he explained, adding that some suspects are already in custody, with investigations ongoing.
“We will continue to carry out operations from the known to the unknown,” he said, noting that technical intelligence is being deployed to dismantle phone-theft networks and other criminal rings.
The CP disclosed that security agencies will support the legally approved demolition of shanties across the FCT, an area Minister Wike has consistently emphasised.
He said, “There is no legal shanty. As long as the demolition is authorized by law, we will give maximum support.”
Dantawaye urged residents to verify distress information before spreading it, warning that false rumours can lead to unnecessary panic.
“Please, when you hear anything about kidnapping, verify first before creating pandemonium,” he said.
He assured residents that security agencies remain fully committed to their duty.
“We are paid with your hard-earned money to secure you, and we will not relent,” he said, “FCT is a no-go area for criminals.”
The Commissioner also reiterated the call for residents to provide credible intelligence, stressing that cooperation remains central to sustaining the security of the Federal Capital Territory.
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