The tragic death of a couple in the nation’s capital, Abuja, after being chased by roadside touts, raises urgent questions about why law enforcement agencies have failed to curb such criminality and what concrete measures the authorities are taking to restore order.
Development Diaries reports that a couple was killed by a crash which happened on the Nnamdi Azikwe motorway between Mabushi and Bannex, an area known for the activities of roadside touts.
According to media reports, the vehicle rammed into a taxi when two touts jumped into the moving vehicle and attempted to get hold of the steering.
If touts can boldly hijack vehicles on a major motorway in the nation’s capital, what does that say about the ppresence or absence of law enforcement?
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), supposedly the most secure city in the country, is becoming a place where citizens feel unsafe in their daily commute, with violent extortionists left unchecked.
Unchecked touting, extortion, and harassment by so-called agbero are steadily being normalised across Abuja.
From the Mabushi–Bannex corridor to other urban hotspots, residents and motorists have come to expect this lawlessness as part of daily life.
This culture of impunity erodes public confidence in the ability of security agencies to protect lives and property and it also emboldens criminals to expand their operations.
The result is an environment where fear, rather than order, dictates how people move and interact in public spaces.
In a city that should represent the pride of the nation, such disorder erodes both local and international perceptions of governance capacity in Nigeria.
In May 2024, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike pledged to eradicate criminal elements from the nation’s capital.
Recall also, in February, the Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, announced that the Council will begin arresting touts who harass motorists by jumping into vehicles in the name of collecting revenue.
Unfortunately, residents are yet to see the effects of these assurances.
The time for excuses is over. Abuja cannot afford to become a haven for touts who operate with near-total impunity.
Development Diaries calls on the FCT Minister, Wike, and the chairman of AMAC, Maikalangu, to act decisively through coordinated law enforcement, proper regulation of motor parks, and visible security patrols in notorious zones like Mabushi.
A firm action and a sustainable crackdown on touting will reassure residents that their lives and livelihoods are valued, and that Abuja remains a capital city where law and order truly prevail.
Photo source: Daily Trust
