The House of Representatives has established an ad hoc committee to investigate the escalating insecurity and increasing loss of lives in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), despite the Nigerian government’s $460 million Chinese loan for a comprehensive CCTV surveillance project.
The committee, chaired by Hon. Donald Ojogo (Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency, Ondo State), was formed during plenary on Wednesday, October 22, following a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Amobi Ogah.
In presenting the motion, Ogah stressed that protecting lives and property is the government’s foremost duty, noting that the current situation in Abuja reveals a breakdown in oversight and accountability for a project intended to enhance public safety.
He recalled that in 2010, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration and through then Finance Minister Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Nigeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China’s ZTE Communications to install CCTV cameras at key locations in Abuja. The initiative aimed to support security agencies in monitoring, preventing, and responding to crime.
However, despite the significant financial commitment and ongoing loan repayments, Ogah lamented that the CCTV system remains non-functional and has failed to aid in crime reduction.
“Despite this huge investment and the financial burden Nigeria carries servicing the loan, the CCTV system’s impact is non-existent. Instead of declining, crime rates have surged in Abuja, resulting in daily reports of deaths from unchecked criminal activity in the Federal Capital,” Ogah said.
He described the situation as a “lose-lose nightmare” for Nigeria, paying heavily for a project that has not delivered results.
Accordingly, the House directed the ad hoc committee to thoroughly investigate the entire CCTV contract—covering fund utilization, project execution, and causes of failure—and to present recommendations to strengthen security infrastructure in the FCT.
