BY Henry Umoru

ABUJA—MOVED by renewed bombings in the nation’s capital, with massive killings and wanton destruction of property by members of the Islamic Boko Haram sect, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, Abuja, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday ordered that all the six area council chairmen in the territory should immediately begin the registration of all aliens in their respective area councils.

*Bala Mohammed, FCT Minister

The Minister, who gave the directive during an enlarged security meeting of the FCT, held at his Life Camp, Gwarinpa official residence in Abuja, said the Area Council chairmen would carry out the assignment in conjunction with officials of the Nigerian Immigration Services.

Meanwhile, the FCT Secretary of Health and Human Services, Dr. Demola Onakomaiya, disclosed that the casualty figure from the EMAB plaza bomb blast had risen to 24, following the death of three more victims on admission in hospitals, just as two victims died in the National Hospital while one died in Maitama District hospital.

The meeting was designed to, among others, help review the security situation in the nation’s capital as the minister also instructed the council chairmen to continue with their regular security meetings in their respective areas with the traditional rulers, community leaders, Divisional Police Officers, DPOs, and other stakeholders.

Senator Mohammed, who restated his earlier directive for the strengthening of security at all shopping malls and markets in the FCT, particularly in the metropolis, however, assured that the FCTA would liaise with appropriate security agencies towards the re-opening of the EMAB shopping Plaza, scene of last week’s bombing, to normal business activities.

Already, the owners and management of the ever busy shopping plaza have been given standard security requirements to be put in place before the plaza can be re-opened for business activities.
Mohammed equally directed that shopping centres and plazas along the crowded Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2 and along all other busy corridors in the city and the satellite towns be similarly made to comply with the new security templates.