The CCTV in front of the robbed house.The illusion that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, is the most secured city in the country was further shattered recently by the bombing of the offices of Thisday newspapers in Jabi, Abuja.In a report carried by Daily Trust after the bombing of the Nigeria Police Force Head Quarter in Abuja in June 2011, the FCT police spokesman Jimoh Moshood had said 25 additional cameras were being installed to insure 'watertight security' in the capital.After the bombing of the UN building in August 2011, apart from other security measures, over N470 million has been spent on providing Close Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV), with another N1 billion budgeted by the FCT administration on supply of CCTV for the city.Some residents of Abuja are now questioning the sincerity of authorities in providing security in the federal capital territory and its environs.Robbery under a CCTVThe man in the video here is Mr. Abiola Akinyele, he is clearly very angry about the lack of security in the country.http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=BChFCAJr9AEAbiola Akinyele is particularly angrier because his business premises was recently attacked by armed robbers who forcefully took several items belonging to him and some of his staff.He tells Daily Trust that no suspects have been arrested, in spite of being located only about 20 meters from a government-installed CCTV.The location is 23 Crescent, Efab Estate, Life Camp, Abuja. Abiola said it was around 4am in the morning when armed robbers forced their way into the house and carted away his television, blackberry phone and many other items belong to the staff of his laundry company.He said the television alone was worth over N400, 000.He berated the police that, 'they say they are fighting Boko Haram, but with all this incompetence, how can we be robbed here on a regular basis under the canopy of a CCTV'''Since they installed the surveillance camera here it has not been working; it is just for decoration it is not doing anything,' he said.Another resident who lives near Mr. Abiola, Mr. Fredrick Kokobiei, said burglars visit his house frequently, despite its location directly adjacent the CCTV.He said within three week, burglars first stole his electric generator and broke through the house fence on a second visit, but were unable to steal anything because of a vigilant neighbor. According to him, 'my reports are still there [with the police] and they have not apprehended anybody.'For Barrister Yomi Adedokun who also lives in the area, he said the CCTV cannot be working, adding that 'the control center itself is not working; if it were working a lot of things will have been exposed.'This is a place where 'burglars will come to your house and you raise alarm and they are not in a hurry to run away. It tells you the confidence they have that they can do what they want without hindrance.'Daily Trust gathered from the police outpost in the area that the incidences were reported, and have been referred to the Life Camp Police Divisional Office for necessary action.However, the police claimed that the cases are not of robberies, but burglaries.Reacting to Daily Trust inquiries about the functionality of the CCTVs, FCT Police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood said he cannot comment about the state of CCTVs located around residential areas. He said however that all CCTVs installed and monitored by the police were in good working condition.He however did not give more information about the locations of these police-monitored CCTVs.{jathumbnail off}
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