Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday charged citizens to expose the criminal elements threatening the nation’s security.
The exhortation comes as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) revealed plans by members of the ISWAP terrorist group to launch coordinated and spontaneous attacks on soft and hard targets in the nation’s capital Abuja and environs.
Meanwhile, following the attack on the Kuje Correctional facility, the meetings of security forces headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, have been brought forward to hold daily from its previous weekly arrangement.
Speaking after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers at his country home in Daura, Katsina State, Buhari said increased disclosure of unusual activities would expose bandits and terrorists, nudging the security apparatus to eliminate threats across the country.
President Buhari said all those that had unleashed mayhem on innocent citizens should reflect on their atrocities, stressing that they soiled their names and their family reputation.
His words: “My advice is that people that are organising themselves and attacking institutions and communities; the people know them. So, let them report them to the security agencies.
“I hope they will sit and reflect and make sure they save their names and their families,” Buhari said.
During this year’s rainy season, the president said: “We are praying that the rainy season will be good for the production of the food we eat in the country.
He stated that following the closure of the borders for about two years, Nigeria is now exporting rice.
The president also advised Nigerian youths to look beyond culture, ethnicity and religion in relating with one another, urging more travels, mingling, tolerance and negotiations to appreciate the rich diversity of the country.
Buhari, who received members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) serving in Daura, said regular interface and a broader vision of Nigeria as a whole would improve relationships, especially among the youths.
“Every time I meet former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, I always thank him for the NYSC, which helps people to move all over Nigeria.
“Before the NYSC there were people who had never moved out of their locality,” he said.
The president said the scheme broadened the horizon for many over the years and reduced the tensions and misunderstandings that exist between strangers.
The president said the Youths and all Nigerians must learn to live together with one another.
He later donated two bulls, 10 rams and the sum of N1,000,000 to the corps members for the Sallah celebration.
NSCDC Alerts on Planned Attacks on Schools, Churches, Others
In another fresh development, plans by members of the ISWAP terrorist group to launch coordinated and spontaneous attacks on soft and hard targets in the FCT have been uncovered by the FCT Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The NSCDC FCT Commandant, Mr Peter Maigari, who issued the Red Alert in a restricted memo dated Friday, July 8, 2022, said: “Certified intelligence reveals that members of the decimated terrorist group, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) have concluded plan to launch more coordinated and spontaneous attacks on selected targets within the FCT and have declared war against Christians in Nigeria.”
A copy of the Red Alert addressed to the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) further said: “Intelligence abounds that ISWAP terrorist group has claimed responsibilities of the Tuesday, July 5, 2022 attack on Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, releasing their adherent members.
“The foregoing is to enable them to hibernate in targeted communities and re-strategise for further terrorist activities, especially on soft targets to keep the agenda of the group alive to the public.”
The leaked memo further warned that taking into consideration the recent attack on Kuje Prison in Abuja, which lasted for a “good two – hours without any security resistance indicates their readiness to carry out more coordinated attacks in selected cities/towns, security formations, schools and worship centres in FCT, hence the release of their members for a more formidable squad to carry out the dastardly act.”
Maigari, therefore, called for a review of the existing security measures in the nation’s capital to frustrate the terrorists’ plans.
When contacted to confirm the authenticity or otherwise of the alert, the spokesman, National Headquarters of NSCDC, Mr Shola Odumosu, said the alert emanated from the FCT Command of the agency and not the headquarters.
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