Residents of the Federal Capital Territory seem to have overcome the initial panic and tension that engulfed the city following recent heightened threat of terrorists’ attacks on the seat of power.
Some embassies in Nigeria; United States and the United Kingdom, had in October warned their citizens against travelling to Abuja and 22 other states.
The UK High Commission on October 23 warned that terrorists were targeting public spaces in Abuja, causing panic in the nation’s capital.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO, in a message on its website advised against, “all but essential travel to the Federal Capital Territory, including the city of Abuja.”
The FCDO asked British nationals to, “stay alert, avoid non-essential travel within the city and follow the local news and the advice of security authorities.”
The United States issued similar threat notice and went as far as evacuating some of its personnel out of the country.
Earlier reports of attacks on military personnel in the FCT had caused fears among residents.
Terrorists had on July 28, attacked an army check-point at Zuma Rock near the FCT, where they opened fire on unsuspecting soldiers killing one in the process and injuring two others.
A captain and two soldiers attached to the 7 Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army were also ambushed and killed by terrorists in the Bwari area of the FCT.
It was, therefore, not surprising that individuals and organisations will act on the security alert issued by the embassies.
While some places of worship immediately tightened their internal security mechanisms, big business premises like the Jabi Shopping Mall, and a number of schools shut down operations after the security alert by the embassies.
However, reacting the FCT Administration asked residents to remain calm as necessary arrangements had been made to sustain the state of law and order in the territory.
Director, Information and Communication, in the FCTA, Muhammad Sule, said the FCT minister immediately convened an emergency security meeting to discuss the security alert issued by the embassy with measures taken to prevent any security breach.
The FCTA, while advising residents to cooperate with security operatives at all times by volunteering useful and timely information that would assist in nipping any form of criminality in the bud, urged them to go about their legitimate businesses as the security agencies have been fully mobilized to “checkmate any form of intrusion into the FCT.”
Though details of these security measures may not necessarily be in the open, a number of steps taken by the FCTA in recent times are indication of some of the administration’s efforts towards preventing a siege on the nation’s capital.
For instance, the administration at the end of its weekly security council meeting on October 27, approved the sum of N500million to support the commencement of community policing initiatives across the six area councils of the territory.
The FCT minister, Malam Muhammad Bello, at the official handover of operational vehicles to security agencies in Abuja, disclosed that the council also approved the purchase of security equipment to further beef up security in the territory.
In his words, “In addition to these vehicles, this morning we agreed at that the administration is going to support the six area councils with sum of N500million to support the commencement and inital implementation of the community policing structure and strategy. In additional to these operational vehicles which are the first batch, the administration is equally providing other security related equipment and gadgets so the respective agencies so they can optimality perform.”
In August, the FCTA said it is hoping to building a viable local security network in the rural communities to help tackle the challenges of insecurity in the territory.
The FCTA, through its security committee, also fine-tuned arrangements for the official launching of the resuscitated G-7 Security Joint Operation in September 2022, involving states that are contiguous to the FCT.
The joint security operation was established in 2007 as an initiative aimed at protecting lives and properties among the six states making up the North Central zone and the FCT.
However, shortly after the administration of the former minister, Dr Aliyu Modibo in 2008, not much has been heard about the initiative.
The resuscitation of the G-7 Joint Security Operation is expected to fight crime and criminality in all the nooks and crannies of the members states, especially the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism in the rural areas of territory and states bordering the FCT.
While we must commend the efforts by the FCT Administration in handling the security alerts and preventing terror blowing up in our faces, security agencies in the nation’s capital must not relax in their respective responsibilities to ensure that the relative peace and security is maintained.
Surveillance must be intensified especially in border communities of Bwari, Abaji and around Karshi axis to ensure that terrorists don’t set up cells in forest around the territory.
The agencies should also strengthen their information gathering techniques and properly liaise with local chiefs for intel.
The administration should also pay more attention to community policing efforts in rural communities by supporting local Vigilantes in the areas of man power development as well as providing them with better equipment.
The FCT, and indeed, other G-7 states can look towards the alternative security outfits like the Amotekun and Ebube Agwu options in the South West and South East regions, respectively.
As the country approaches an electioneering year, security agencies must not be caught napping, as a peaceful society is necessary if we must have free and fair elections in 2023.
