Many Nigerians, particularly those in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, have yet to recover from the palpable anxiety caused by the terror alert issued by some Western countries.
The country’s deteriorating security situation took a new turn last week when Ireland, Canada, Australia, and other countries issued travel advisories advising their citizens to leave Nigeria.
In the tense alert, the US, along with other Western countries, warned of a possible terrorist attack in the nation’s capital, claiming that the terrorists are targeting government facilities, places of worship, and schools, among other things.
Following the terror alert, some government and private establishments have shut down operations for fear of being attacked by the daredevil terrorists who have held the country hostage for years.
Following the security alert, President Muhammadu Buhari advised the nation’s security establishment and citizens to remain vigilant and cautious with security, stating that it is critical to avoid panic.
Buhari urged citizens to remain calm in a State House press statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, citing recent changes in travel advice from the US and UK governments as evidence that this should not be a cause for concern.
“Nigeria is no exception in having terror threats listed in foreign governments’ travel advice to their citizens,” the statement said. Terrorist attacks are also a high risk in many Western European countries, according to UK and US travel advisories. Indeed, both the UK and the US advise their citizens to avoid traveling to each other’s countries. Unfortunately, terror is a global reality.”
President Buhari has also called an emergency security meeting with the Security Chiefs. The meeting, according to the presidency, was held to strengthen the country’s security network.
According to a top security source who spoke on the condition of anonymity to the DAILY POST, efforts are underway to ensure that the nation’s capital is safe for all residents.
According to him, security agencies are working nonstop to prevent all planned attacks, emphasizing that some progress has been made in the last few days and confirming that a few people have been arrested.
“We are doing everything possible to prevent the attack,” he said. This is a serious matter, and security agencies should not be expected to make everything public. Of course, arrests have been made, and normalcy will return soon.”
Some Nigerians, however, have refused to believe the government’s efforts to avert the disaster saying;
“How do you think I’ll believe them?” “I don’t trust the government either,” said an Abuja resident who requested anonymity.
Another respondent, Jibrin Musa, believed that the government was playing a dangerous game with people’s lives. He went on to accuse the government of being involved in the entire situation.
“Our country’s government does not take our lives seriously.” So it could just be a ruse to steal the money. Look at how they handled the Boko Haram situation; it’s all about business for them. “I won’t trust them until they start doing the right thing,” he said.
Meanwhile, a top security official in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has expressed dissatisfaction with the level of support the country receives from Western countries.
He bemoaned the fact that they do not take them with them when reviewing security intelligence, adding that this creates room for mistrust.
He went on to say that funding and corruption are major challenges for the country’s security architecture.
