The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has announced that starting in January 2025, all commercial drivers in Abuja will be required to obtain security clearance from both the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Wike announced this on Thursday at the FCT Renewed Hope Youth Empowerment programme.
This, he said, was to boost security within Abuja, including kidnapping and “one-chance” robberies.
He stressed that commercial drivers operating without the necessary security clearance will no longer be allowed to operate within the FCT.
“Most of the Keke Napep [tricycles] and motorcycles are informants,” Wike stated, while expressing concerns about the involvement of some transport operators in criminal activities.
“Everybody here who is a beneficiary is being profiled by security. And so, what we are coming up with is that from January next year, there will be nobody that will operate as a taxi driver or a bus driver without having approval from security, with security profiling you, and without going about with Abuja colour,” the minister said.
Under the new regulations, the minister said all commercial vehicles will need to display the approved Abuja colour scheme, and drivers will be subject to security profiling to make the city safer for residents and visitors alike.
The minister noted that Vehicles must have identifiable numbers linked to registered drivers to give passengers confidence.
Wike further said, “Nothing like using any vehicle on the road. No, we won’t allow that. We won’t allow that starting in January.
“We will take the vehicle number, the names of the drivers, and the rest so everybody will have confidence that this is the vehicle I’m entering in case anything happens.”
Wike handed over new cars to participants in the FCT taxi scheme, to enhance safety and support for drivers.