Abuja: House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas on Thursday inaugurated a special committee to investigate rising insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the collapse of the controversial ₦358.8 billion ($460 million) CCTV project.
The panel is tasked with uncovering why the multi-billion-naira surveillance initiative failed to deliver, even as Abuja grapples with worsening security threats.
Speaking at the inauguration on Thursday in Abuja, Tajudeen said the committee would also probe the CCTV project secured with a 460-million-dollar Chinese loan.
According to Tajudeen, there is an alarming and unprecedented rise in insecurity in the nation’s capital, saying it is both unacceptable and intolerable.
The speaker demanded urgent action to address the situation.
“Let me unambiguously state this matter: the House of Representatives will not stand idly by while the safety of Nigerians is compromised.
“We will deploy every legislative instrument at our disposal to ensure that this investigation is conducted and concluded, and that its findings lead to tangible, lasting results.
“We owe a massive debt to the victims of these heinous attacks, the families living in fear and to every Nigerian who looks to us for protection and leadership.
“The best way to repay that debt is through decisive action, rigorous oversight and an unwavering commitment to restoring security and accountability,” he said.
Tajudeen called for the cooperation of all stakeholders, especially security agencies, to enable the committee to carry out its duties.
In his remarks, Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ojogo Kimikanboh (APC-Ondo), said that the house had entrusted the committee with a grave and urgent national responsibility.
He said that the rising incidents of kidnapping, armed robbery and brutal killings were not mere statistics but represented a profound national concern and personal tragedy for countless families.
According to him, communities are now paralysed by fear, and the very social fabric of the capital city is unravelling at the seams despite the 460 million-dollar CCTV project.
“We are to conduct a forensic audit of the $460 million CCTV project, tracing every dollar, scrutinising every contract and evaluating its technical integrity from conception to current status.
“We are to determine the precise operational status of the project, its functionality, coverage and efficacy and expose the specific reasons for any failure,” he said.
Part of the committee’s mandate, the lawmaker said, was to investigate the direct correlation between the project’s failure and the escalating security breaches within the FCT.
He said that the committee would also identify all individuals, agencies and contractors responsible for any failure and establish a transparent chain of accountability.
It would equally provide actionable recommendations to salvage the vital project, secure value for the Nigerian people and propose concrete measures to restore security and public confidence.
“Let me be unequivocally clear; we are here not to witch-hunt, but on a truth hunt; we are not here to grandstand, but to deliver justice for the lives brutally cut short and for the sacred trust that has been broken,” he said.
The Chairman said that the task before the committee was not just a parliamentary duty, but a moral imperative.
“Every life lost in the FCT stains our national conscience; every dollar squandered on this failed project is a violation of our resolve for national development.
“We owe the grieving families answers. We owe Nigerian taxpayers accountability. We owe the nation both the restoration of safety and the reaffirmation of justice.
“Let us, therefore, proceed with unwavering diligence, unassailable integrity and a relentless commitment to the truth.
