Insecurity: FCTA to profile Almajiris, operators

….No cause for alarm – CP assures residents

By Stanley Onyekwere

Worried by the influx of people especially children under the Almajiri education system into Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), security agencies are set to profile its operators and students, as part of intensified proactive steps to addressing prevailing security  threats  to the territory.

To this effect, the FCT Administration has directed for the constitution of a committee comprising of conventional  security agencies and leadership of the FCT Area Councils to tackle the issue and submit its report within two weeks.

Making this disclosure, the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the FCT Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike,  directed the committee to work with Area Council Chairmen to identify schools and other places where Almajiris are being harboured in the territory.

Disu, who spoke yesterday while briefing newsmen after an expanded security meeting presided over by Wike, said the government will profile those organising the Almajiris schools, gather their photos and phone numbers, and develop strategies for collaboration and monitoring.

He said: “The members of the committee are members of the main security operatives of the Federal Capital Territory, the Nigerian police, the Nigerian army, the DSS, the NSCDC. The committee borders on the influx of Almajiri and other persons into the Federal Capital Territory.

“It has the mandate to see how it’s going to work out with the Area Council Chairmen, for them to identify schools where these children are being brought in to learn, to profile those organizing these schools, to have the pictures, full numbers of people organizing these groups, and for them to work out means of working with them in the future.

“Also, to probably to find out what the government can do to ensure that they are kept in check, and to find out the content of the training they are giving these students in their various schools.”

He continued: “A lot of issues regarding security were discussed, but mainly we focused on the issue of influx of people into the Federal Capital Territory, especially the Almajiri. The Minister, at the end of the meeting directed a committee is set up by us, and then he awaits the outcome of it in two weeks.

“Meanwhile we want to enjoin all residents of the Federal Capital Territory to be security conscious, and then take note of any new person coming into their areas, and report immediately to the appropriate authorities.

“We need to profile people coming into our environment, we need to know them, because recently some arrests have been made of persons, who are of security risk to the Federal Capital Territory.

“We await the outcome of our deliberation, which will be sent to the Federal Capital Territory Minister within the next two weeks.

“We have a lot of clearance going on, and a lot of arrests have been made.The town is calm. If you see anything suspicious, quickly inform the security authorities.

“It’s of concern to us because we don’t want to wait for anything to happen. We want to be proactive. They are still many other things that have come to our mind, a lot of things that we have discussed that are futuristic.

“We do not want to wait and react. We always want to be ahead of it. There is nothing to be worried about, and there is nothing to be concerned about. The town is calm.”

Recall that on January 4, 2025, a deadly explosion purportedly involving an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)  rocked an Islamiyya (Islamic) school (name not provided) in Chuchibiyu community of Bwari Area Council of the FCT.

A check revealed that Almajiris live in Qur’anic schools mostly informal learning centres called “Tsangaya” and are taught by an Mallam, Islamic scholars or teachers.