The House of Representatives has inaugurated an ad-hoc committee to investigate the rising insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) despite the installation of a $460 million CCTV system funded through a Chinese loan.

Inaugurating the committee at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Thursday, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen said the growing wave of kidnappings, armed robberies and killings in the FCT was unacceptable and intolerable.

Represented by Hon. Julius Pondi (APC, Delta), Speaker Abbas noted that Abuja, once seen as one of West Africa’s most peaceful capital, is now grappling with frequent violent crimes.

He questioned why the multi-million-dollar CCTV project, designed to enhance surveillance and security operations, had failed to curb the worsening security situation.

According to the speaker, Nigerians deserved answers on whether the massive investment was properly deployed, abandoned or crippled by mismanagement.

He said the committee’s mandate includes a forensic investigation into the project’s status, operational capacity, level of integration with security agencies and reasons for its failure to deliver results.

Abbas said the committee was also expected to identify any acts of negligence or sabotage and recommend steps for activating or overhauling the system.

The committee’s chairman, Hon. Ojogo Donald Kimikanboh, also said the worsening security challenges in Abuja had turned the city into a theatre of fear.

Ojogo described the failed CCTV project as a “scandal of monumental proportions,” noting that despite the huge investment, the system has not provided the expected security shield for the FCT.

He outlined the committee’s work, including auditing the $460 million expenditure, evaluating the project’s technical integrity, establishing its functionality and uncovering the causes of the persistent security breaches.

“We are not on a witchhunt but a truth hunt,” he said, adding that the committee would pursue its assignment with diligence, integrity,

and a commitment to restoring public confidence.

“What elevates this crisis from tragedy to scandal of monumental proportions is the stark paradox at its core: this relentless wave of terror crashes upon us despite a massive investment—a Chinese loan of Four Hundred and Sixty Million United States Dollars ($460,000,000) secured for the singular purpose of creating an impregnable security shield for the FCT.

“This was no ordinary initiative. It was a flagship project, a critical layer in our national security architecture, promised to be the ever-watchful eye over our capital—a digital sentinel designed to deter crime, empower our security forces, and ensure that perpetrators face the justice they deserve.

“Conduct a forensic audit of the $460 million CCTV project, tracing every dollar, scrutinizing every contract, and evaluating its technical integrity from conception to current status.

“Determine the precise operational status of the project—its functionality, coverage, and efficacy—and expose the specific reasons for any failure. Investigate the direct correlation between this project’s failure and the escalating security breaches within the FCT,” he added. (LEADERSHIP)

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