Abuja terror alert: Don’t panic, be alert – Buhari urges Nigerians
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised the nation’s security establishment and entire citizens to continue being vigilant, saying it is important to avoid panic.
Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s media aide, in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said Buhari was reacting to security advisories issued by some embassies in Abuja, urging citizens to remain calm.
According to him, the recent changes in travel advice from the U.S. and UK governments should not be a cause for panic.
” Nigeria is no exception in having terror threats listed in foreign government’s travel advice to their citizens.
”UK and U.S. travel advisories also state there is a high likelihood of terror attacks in many Western European nations.
” Indeed, the UK and U.S. advice to their respective citizens for travel to one another’s countries contain the same warning. Unfortunately, terror is a reality the world over.
” However, it does not mean an attack in Abuja is imminent. Since the July prison raid, security measures have been reinforced in and around the FCT.
” Heightened monitoring and interception of terrorist communications ensure potential threats are caught further upstream.
” Attacks are being foiled. Security agents are proactively rooting out threats to keep citizens safe – much of their work unseen and necessarily confidential.”
According to the president, Nigerians’ safety remains the highest priority of government, saying security services are working around the clock to keep harm at bay.
The president, therefore, reassured that the government was on top of the security situation in country.
While noting that security threats are real and have been with the nation for a long while, Buhari said the nation’s military, the police and other security agencies had shown a capability to deal with it.
This, he said, was evident from the fact that” a majority of our partners, including the United Nations agencies in our midst have not seen the threat as being sufficient to warrant any form of panic or order citizen evacuations.”
According to the president, while being security conscious, being alert and careful is crucial, saying responsible members of the society do not create situations leading to unnecessary panic.
President Buhari commended the military and other security agencies for the recent turn around in the nation’s security.
He, however, directed that additional precautionary measures be put in place and that these must not slacken now, and during the upcoming festive period.
He expressed optimism that given the on-going efforts on the part of the military and other security and intelligence agencies with the active support of the civilian population, the nation would emerge victorious against the current challenges facing it.
