The Federal Capital Territory saw an increase in “bandit” attacks in 2022 that were concentrated in the suburbs. Terrorists attacked the Kuje Correctional Facility this year, as well as the Presidential Guards Brigade in Bwari.
The traditional head of the Bukpe village, Kwali Area Council, Hassan Shamidozhi, and two other people were abducted in April. After allegedly paying a ransom, they were freed after 18 days.
You might remember when robbers kidnapped a few teachers from the University of Abuja. Additionally, a number of nations issued security advisories to their populations, alerting them to potential assaults on the federal capital. Although there was no significant attack on the metropolis, there have been worries among the majority of the satellite towns.
Last week, armed men invaded the area from a nearby hillside and abducted some people in Kubwa, another FCT suburb. Residents of the area claim that the hillside near some of the area’s largest quarries has become known for attacks, indicating that this attack was not an isolated incident.
Since residents told DAILY POST that robbers can simply traverse the hills into Niger State, the hill, which is adjacent to Kukwa extension two, has become infamous for attacks.
You can enter Niger State very easily by going over the hill. Saidu Aliyu, a local resident, pointed to the hill and said, “What we heard is that those armed men came from that rock side and hauled away some folks.
Due to the constant attacks by armed robbers, several residents and home owners in PW Kubwa have to pool their resources to hire vigilantes. Residents said that the attacks began with the theft of automobile batteries and quickly spread to target homes.
“At first, we worry about the Baban Bola (refuse collectors), who are capable of stealing anything. After that, we began to notice automobile batteries popping. Car batteries have been removed before you wake up at night. Then, the terrifying part was when they began breaking into people’s homes and stealing their things,’ PW resident Mudasiru Sola recalled.
“In order to obtain security, we had to pay money to save ourselves. Every home in this axis pays N5,000 each month to maintain security, according to Sola.
According to information obtained by DAILY POST, residents of Kwali, Bwari, Kuje, and other areas have moved in masse to locations closer to the city because of the security situation in the FCT. Rents have gone up in areas like Lugbe Dawaki, Kubwa, and others that are nearer the city center as a result of the resulting migration.
A room and parlor flat in Lugbe, an Abuja suburb, cost on average N350,000 two years ago. Given the current price of the same unit in this location, such a sum is seen as a simple deal.
The current going rate for a nice one-bedroom apartment is N600,000. In addition, agents currently charge 15% of the rent as agency and agreements, there are caution costs that can reach N100,000 per property, and some even charge service fees.
Due to the strong demand for homes, there are additional criteria that must be met in order to obtain a home. When 10 to 15 people are competing for the same property, agents and landlords have the right to impose strict requirements on potential tenants.
What state are you from? was asked as soon as this reporter approached an agent in Lugbe at the Federal Housing. Are you from Igbo? The agent’s expression altered when this reporter pretended to be Igbo, and he remarked, “This woman has said she is not giving an Igbo her House.”
Not all of the discrimination in Lugbe is based on race; some people also discriminate against potential tenants who are not employed by the government. You are at a disadvantage if you work for a private company.
Agents may request information about a prospective tenant’s employer and yearly pay before deciding whether to rent them an apartment.
prejudice against women
The level of discrimination is higher for women. Three of the homes this reporter expressed interest in were turned down by the landlords due to their concerns about renting to single women.
“I don’t let girls live in my house. When a landlord appeared to be looking to rent a house for his sister, he told this reporter that the last corper girl (NYSC Corps member) he provided his house to was unable to pay rent when the first one expired.
Even when they have money, it might be difficult for women from the Southeast geopolitical zone to find appropriate housing if they work in the private sector as well.
Lugbe and Kubwa battle infrastructure issues
As may be recalled, the National Assembly cleared the federal capital territory’s budget of approximately N607 billion for 2022 last week, according to the DAILY POST.
Notably, the FCT budget has grown significantly over the past year from N278.4 billion in 2020, which was then revised downward to N199.2 billion due to COVID-19.
The budget for 2021 was N329 billion, while for 2022 it will be N607 billion. Even though the funding was increased, the majority of the satellite towns’ infrastructure was ignored while the city center received the most of the attention.
The majority of workers reside in the city’s satellite towns, such as Karu, Nyanyan, Mararaba, Jikowyi, Bwari, Dutse, Suleja, Madala, Zuba, Lugbe, Gwagwalada, and even Keffi, due to the high cost of rent in the city.
But the government pays little to no attention to these towns. Slums are expanding within the city itself. Workers can find affordable housing in slums like Jabi Village, Asokoro Village, Garki Village, and other areas, but the administration rarely pays these areas any attention.
