Hotels operating in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the guests checking into them would henceforth be profiled, the Abuja Metropolitan Management Agency (AMMC) said yesterday.

The profiling would be done by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) alongside security operatives.

The AMMC has also given a one-week ultimatum to hotels operating in residential buildings to close shops failing which he threatens to apply punitive measures against erring operators.

Also yesterday, the Defence Headquarters said the military needed not to be spurred by terror alerts from foreign nations to rise to its responsibility of defending the country.

At a news conference yesterday, AMMC Coordinator, Umar Shuiabu, listed some of the steps being taken to make Abuja safe for residents and travellers to include shut down of the facilities and revocation of titles.

Shuiabu explained that the renewed clamp down against erring hotels, guest’s houses and motels, among others in the FCT, was to help curb insecurity in the nation’s capital.

Regretting that these unregistered hospitality facilities provided avenues for criminal elements to hide and perpetrate their crimes, Shuiabu insisted that all hotels, and the likes, must henceforth profile all their guests and liaise with relevant security agencies with a view to nipping crimes and criminalities in the bud.

He said: “The FCTA has observed with great concern that some random persons altered their land use from the initial approved purpose to hospitality purposes, many of these contraventions are residential quarters that were converted to hotels, brothers etc. These constitute security challenges in the entire territory.

“Also identified is that many criminal elements disguise themselves and check into some of these hospitality services as guests and hide out before and after carrying out their nefarious activities.

“These property owners are operating hotels without following the appropriate procedure of acquiring all necessary approvals from the relevant agencies of the FCTA”.

The coordinator listed some of the conditions that must be met to operate such facilities as

All hospitality and tourism establishments such as hotels, guest inns and guest houses, must be registered and licensed with the Social Development Secretariat

Every hospitality operator must profile all guests and visitors with ’verifymynin’ App.

According to him, any operator willing to remain in business should use the one-week window for registration, adding that such operators must be responsible for their own internal security arrangements.

Warning operators to comply, the coordinator said: “We wish to reiterate that it is not business as usual. Those who have formed the habit of breaking extant laws of the FCT should know that there is no place for them to hide”.

DHQ on U.S., UK warnings

The DHQ said the Armed Forces and other sister security agencies do not need any prompting from the U.S. or any other country to be alive to their constitutional responsibilities of securing Nigeria.

It said men of the Armed Forces, especially the intelligence community, have been working round the clock to ensure that Nigerians and foreigners alike are secured.

The Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, said most of the achievements recorded by the military in recent clampdown on terror elements have been classified and not published.

He reassured residents in FCT and the environs of safety, adding that troops, and other law enforcement operatives have continued to deny criminal elements freedom of action on daily basis, through arrests and killings across the country.

Speaking on the alert issued by the U.S. Embassy, Gen. Akpor said even before the advisory, the Department of State Services (DSS) had released a statement warning of plans by terrorists to attack some areas and the need for vigilance.

He said: “Before the alert, there are government institutions that are established to cater for the environment; to ensure that we all live our lives, and for us to live our dreams. People have been working. The Armed Forces is there, the police is there, the DSS, and other para-military agencies.

“They are not just established for fun. They are established to carry out specific constitutional roles, which they have been carrying out. So, even before the (security) alert, most of what had been happening was intelligence-driven.

“And, you don’t have to see what the intelligence people are doing. They do a lot, but we do not see, because most of their activities are (intelligence-driven).

And you don’t have to depend on any foreign power for space to be kept safe.

“Your institutions are capable, they are solid, and they will continue to do their best day and night to keep the environment safe. The institutions that have been established to keep the environment safe, will not relent, will not sleep and they will do their constitutional mandate to ensure that they deliver on their constitutional mandate.

“So much is happening. Even before the alert, so much had been happening to keep the environment safe.”

Also speaking, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen. Musa Danmadami, said a lot of gains were recorded in the last two weeks, as troops intensified operations across theatres, using the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.

His words: “Troops of Guards Brigade raided an illegal mining site at Tukashara Wasa, Apo in Abuja Municipal Area Council on 30 October 22 and arrested 60 suspected illegal miners as well recovered four dane guns, one locally fabricated gun, 14 cutlasses, one sledge hammers, 25 motorcycles, one vehicle and other items.

“Troops on the same day also arrested two trailers laden with illegal mined items between October 21 and 24.”

The Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI) urged the Federal Government to find a permanent solution to insecurity.

Its President, Ifeanyi Odedo, who briefed reporters on the state of the nation and the forthcoming national convention of the Fellowship, urged Nigerians to vote into office the right people next year.

Odedo warned against money politics and vote-buying, urging the government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to put all necessary machinery in motion to ensure free, fair and credible elections.

He said: “We want to use this occasion to commend the Federal Government for its efforts at fighting insecurity and working to bring socio-economic stability in the land.

‘We however, appeal that no stone should be left unturned to ensure that we bring a permanent solution to the problems of insecurity confronting this nation and the economic hardship that Nigerians are facing today” (The Nation)

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