The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has deployed more than 100 veterinary officers across Abuja as part of an intensified campaign to prevent the spread of rabies following confirmed cases of the deadly disease in Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils.

The two-week intervention, coordinated by the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, involves free vaccination of dogs and cats across the six area councils, with the administration targeting between 15,000 and 20,000 animals during the exercise.

Mandate Secretary of the Secretariat, Sulieman Ango, who monitored the exercise in Gwagwalada, said the deployment was aimed at creating a protective barrier against further transmission of the virus. He expressed confidence that the targeted number of vaccinations would help bring the situation under control.

According to him, vaccination teams have been positioned at designated centres and will operate daily throughout the two-week exercise. He urged residents to make their dogs and cats available for vaccination, stressing that public cooperation would be critical to the success of the intervention.

Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Karnak Dandam, said more than 12,000 vaccine doses were available, with teams mandated to cover both domestic and stray animals across the territory. He described rabies as a deadly but preventable disease, warning that once clinical symptoms develop in humans, survival is extremely unlikely.

The FCTA had on July 15 confirmed eight rabies cases and two deaths in the territory, leading to the decision to commence a territory-wide vaccination campaign. Ango said the prompt response was supported by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, while residents who participated in the exercise in Gwagwalada welcomed the free vaccination as an important step towards protecting both animals and the public.