There is growing concern that miscreants who infiltrated the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the guise of recent political party conventions could pose serious security challenges to the nation’s capital.
Investigations reveal that a significant number of these individuals have slipped into suburbs surrounding the FCT, raising fears that they could add to the swelling population of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and heighten insecurity in the city.
Many party supporters have expressed disappointment over being abandoned by politicians who brought them to Abuja but failed to provide return transport after the conventions.
TheSun Nigeria reported that one Abdulahi Ladan arrived in Abuja for the All Progressives Congress (APC) convention via an organised transport system. However, he was left stranded following a dispute between a contracted transport company and a governorship aspirant from Kebbi State.
Ladan is not alone. Thousands of supporters who travelled from various states to back political aspirants were deserted at Eagle Square, Abuja, after the events.
In response, security agencies are doubling their efforts to flush out miscreants who have besieged the FCT, aiming to keep unwanted visitors out of the capital following the APC convention.
A police constable with the FCT Command, who requested anonymity, decried to TheSun how politicians exploit the poor for political gain. “We have been working, chasing those who refuse to leave the FCT after the conventions. But some claim the politicians who brought them left unnoticed with the vehicles. Others allege that the transport companies left due to a breach of contract or non-payment,” he said.
“The security situation in the FCT could worsen if nothing is done to remove these unwanted visitors. This is how insecurity gets out of hand. This is how a capital city becomes infested with terrorist groups.”
The officer added: “In many cases, those dumped in Abuja after the conventions jumped into moving vehicles upon hearing they were heading to political rallies. We worked hard to clear them from Eagle Square, but many refused to leave because they found the place comfortable to sleep during and after the two-day event. After being sent away, they had nowhere to go because no one was monitoring their movements. As I speak, the police are aware that many never intended to return to their states. There must be a system to check the influx of people into the FCT.”
Elizabeth Paul, a resident, dismissed the stranded supporters’ claims. “You don’t need to listen to these people. They are lying about their drivers not taking them back. That’s because they don’t have states of their own. After today, they will become indigenes of the FCT. That is the Nigerian way of doing things.”
Christopher Ukaonu argued that the lack of screening before the conventions was a major security lapse. “What happened at Eagle Square on the day of the convention was a total security breach. I need no soothsayer to tell me that many came to Abuja pretending to be party supporters—from the North, from the West, and elsewhere. Do not forget that the United States has raised a security alert due to the situation in the Middle East.
“From what I gathered, many have been sighted under bridges and in makeshift structures around the Federal Secretariat. After the conventions, many walked long distances to nowhere, witnessed by FCT residents who asked suspicious questions about strange figures wearing APC-branded T-shirts of different colours. They were seen trekking as far as neighbouring Nasarawa State, Area One, and the Kubwa axis.”
Muktar Zango, who came from Zamfara State to support a governorship aspirant for the 2027 election, spoke through an interpreter: “Yes, we came to provide support for him, and he is going to win, in sha Allah! But we are still waiting for the vehicle to come back and take us home because we have no money. We don’t know what is holding it up. Maybe the driver has a problem buying fuel. But we are still waiting.”
Some observers believe the disorder that broke out at Eagle Square during the APC National Convention was caused by criminal elements, with reports that security operatives used tear gas on attendees, including delegates and journalists.
As the FCT remains on edge, residents and security experts are calling for urgent measures to prevent the capital from becoming a haven for stranded and potentially dangerous individuals.
