US security alert needless, no cause for alarm —NSA

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3 years ago

AGAINST the backdrop of security alerts issued by western countries led by the United States on what they fear was the impending terrorist attack in Abuja, the Federal Government on Monday reassured that there is no cause for alarm and that citizens are not imperilled in the nation’s capital.

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (retd), gave this position after the emergency meeting of the National Security Council summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, the NSA, who was joined by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar, said the panic that trailed the US terror alert addressed to its citizens in Nigeria, was needless. He said the hype and the sense of insecurity it created were unfounded, urging Nigerians and other residents to go about their businesses without any sense of apprehension.

Monguno added that the armed forces, security and intelligence agencies will not relent in their duty to ensure that all Nigerians are safe in every part of the country.

Monguno said, “We just concluded a sitting, an emergency meeting of the National Security Council, which was held at the behest of Mr President. The meeting was to discuss recent happenings within the FCT and certain declarations and alerts coming from various quarters, insinuating growing insecurity and threat to security within the FCT and environments.

“In rounding off, I will like to first and foremost assure all the citizens of this country that any exaggerated sense of insecurity, any hype about a disintegration of our security forces, intelligence agencies, is unfounded. I want to assure Nigerians that so far, the situation has been under control, the intelligence and security agencies have made a lot of arrests.

“They’re evaluating and exploiting all the materials in their possession. We’re not in the habit of disclosing whatever has been done, but the most important thing is that from the time this story started until now, about a week to 10 days, you can see that so far, the situation has been brought under control.

“The issue of Nigerians being made to panic is unnecessary. The situation in various areas of the FCT has been brought under control and we’re trying as much as possible to work with our neighbours and, within the domestic situation, to work with our foreign partners in a responsible way, without giving the impression that Nigeria is skating on thin ice and we’re about to implode, that I’ll want to dispel any illusion about any heightened sense of insecurity. It is false; it is irresponsible for anybody to give that signal.

“We’re working with our foreign partners in a responsible way and Nigerians should go about their normal daily undertakings without being put in a situation of fear.”

Also speaking, the CDS assured that the nation’s armed forces are doing everything to keep the situation under control, saying that Nigerians should go about their normal business without fear.

The army boss said: “To indicate that, as mentioned by the National Security Adviser, to use the opportunity to assure Nigerians that the armed forces, the police and other security agencies, are working around the clock to ensure that lives and properties of Nigerians are protected and so far, there is no cause for alarm. Nigerians should go about their normal duties as the armed forces other security agencies are well poised to protect them accordingly.

“Perhaps to use this opportunity to mention that I’m sure some of you may have seen in the media, or amongst you, that on the night of 29th, October 2002, Wawa Cantonment in Niger State was attacked. Of course, the alertness of the troops led to the neutralization of the attackers and the vehicles, that were laden with IED and other items, were impounded and five of those attackers were equally arrested.

“Just to use that to let you know of the level of alertness of members of the armed forces, the police and other security agencies.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama in his remarks, said what the foreign missions did with the security alert was not un- usual, saying that the Nigerian government is working with them.

He said, “There’s a foreign dimension to this issue, as alerts are always issued by foreign countries, with missions here in Nigeria.

“Now, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as the Nigerian Intelligence Agency have been working very closely to fully get on top of the situation, and also to engage with our foreign partners, first of all, to mitigate and block any threat from outside the country, and also working and engaging with the foreign missions within the country to ensure that whatever we do and say is constructive and should not in any way cause unnecessary alarm, and in any way destabilise the country.”

On his part, the Director-General of the NIA said Nigeria will continue to expand its engagement with foreign countries, friends and associates to “deal with situations, challenges that actually are not common to Nigeria, cross border issues, so that our country, our people should remain safe and our region and for also global peace and security.”

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