By Adetutu Folasade-Koyi
The Federal Government has assured of adequate security measures to thwart any possible terror attack in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and elsewhere around the country. Government said there is no cause for alarm, despite latest travel advisories by some Western countries.
At the weekend, the British and United States of America governments warned their citizens of threats by terrorists to bomb Abuja during the forthcoming yuletide.
In its latest foreign travel advice to British nationals, the country’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that it would raise the terrorism threat alert in Nigeria during the festive periods.
Last week, the US Embassy in Nigeria issued a similar warning titled, ‘Security Message for U.S. Citizens: Holiday Security Reminder.’
Regardless, in a statement issued in Abuja, yesterday, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the security agencies have not let down their guard, despite the fact that there has been no terror attack in the FCT since the Buhari Administration assumed office.
‘’We know that the terrorists, who have been massively degraded and put on the run, have been looking for soft targets to attack. This is the nature of terrorism all over the world, as can be seen in recent attacks in the UK, France and Egypt, among others. That is why Nigerian security agencies have continued to be on the alert, even if their efforts have been largely unobtrusive, so as not to disrupt the daily activities of the citizenry. Such efforts are routinely stepped up during religious festivals.’’
Alhaji Mohammed said the federal government will continue to take adequate measures to protect lives and properties of citizens and non-citizens alike, “even as the military remains unrelenting in ensuring that the terrorists neither re-group nor regain the capacity to carry out organised attacks.”
He said the federal government’s sensitisation campaign on security, with the punchline; if you see something, say something, would be stepped up on national radio and television, and advised citizens to be security-conscious and report suspicious people and objects to the security agencies.
