The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced an indefinite revival of “Operation Sweep,” deploying a massive multi-agency security force to eliminate criminal elements from Abuja ahead of the Sallah celebrations and the build-up to the 2027 general elections.
The operation draws personnel from the military, police, Department of State Services, Civil Defence Corps and various paramilitary organisations in a coordinated push to tighten security parameters across all area councils in the territory and into neighbouring states.
Addressing the assembled security team on Friday, FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, said the crackdown was directed squarely at criminals and bore no relationship to religion, ethnicity or culture. “Crime has no tribe, has no religion, and has no culture. It affects each and every one of us. Our mandate is to face criminals and criminality at whatever form and level,” Sanusi declared.
The Commissioner sought to reassure law-abiding residents that the operation was not designed to harass or intimidate ordinary citizens, but to flush out those clustering within the territory with intent to cause harm.
He added that the operation would remain active for as long as necessary — describing its duration as lasting “for as long as the FCT remains” — to guarantee blanket coverage across the capital. FCTA Director of Security, Adamu Gwary, told the joint security team that the operation enjoys the full backing of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
He outlined three priorities driving the current phase: providing effective security cover for the Sallah festivities due in approximately two weeks; maintaining order as political activity intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections; and ensuring that no part of the FCT is left out of the security sweeps.
Gwary described the exercise as a “totality activity” essential to preserving peace in the capital as it approaches a series of major national milestones.
Authorities have appealed to FCT residents and the international community to support the operation by providing what they termed “credible and actionable intelligence” to help security agencies stay ahead of emerging criminal patterns in the territory.
