Terror Alerts: Jittery Abuja Braces Itself as Foreign Govts Warn

Last week, residents of the Federal Capital Territory became jittery following successive security alerts by foreign missions. Louis Achi writes that the security agencies’ claim that they are on top of the security situation should be firmly demonstrated in the coming days

In a post on its website last Sunday, the US Embassy alerted its citizens that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) stood a high risk of terror attack. The alert said terrorists might target government buildings, places of worship, schools and markets.

Flowing from this development, the US said it would offer reduced services at its embassy in the FCT until further notice and asked its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel and review security plans.

On Monday, the UK also updated its terrorism alert to its citizens in Nigeria. The British High Commission in Abuja said only critical staff would be allowed access to its facility on Monday.

Following the alerts issued by the US and UK, the governments of Canada, Germany, Bulgaria, Ireland and Denmark have cautioned their citizens against non-essential travel to Abuja and other parts due to the “unpredictable” security situation.

In response to the security alerts, the Department of State Services (DSS) called for calm. In a statement, it explained: “The Department of State Services (DSS) has received several enquiries relating to the security advisory issued by the US Embassy in Abuja, today, 23/10/22. The public may recall that the service had variously issued similar warnings in the past.

“While advising that necessary precautions are taken by all and sundry, the populace is enjoined to remain alert and assist security agencies with useful information regarding threats and suspicious criminal acts around them.

“Meanwhile, the service calls for calm as it works with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to maintain peace and order in and beyond Abuja.”

However, the residents of Abuja are on edge with some schools and commercial business organisations shut.

While the DSS correctly recognised and essentially aligned itself with the security alerts issued by the three foreign governments, the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr. Lai Mohammed, curiously took off at another tangent, labelling the terror alerts as unverified and misleading.

The minister faulted the intelligence of the UK High Commission, US Embassy and and the Canadian High Commission in Nigeria. In his characteristic style, he pushed the position that all was well, peddling dangerous disinformation while specific danger looms. By pushing this misleading narrative, the minister who plays politics with virtually anything that seems to indict the federal government, also unwittingly faulted the position of the DSS.

Speaking at a ministerial session of the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week in Abuja, last week, the minister shamelessly argued that the security alerts aimed at saving the lives of innocent Nigerians and foreigners were unnecessary as they were creating panic in the polity.

Mohammed had also last week argued that the military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in Nigeria, insisting that terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run while bandits have been decimated and scattered.

But yet in another security alert-cum-travel advisory midweek, tagged “Nigeria Level 3,” the US government warned its citizens to avoid traveling to 14 states due to insecurity. The states are: Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe in North-east; Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara in North-west; Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states in South-south.

It warned their citizens should not travel to due to what it called: “crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and maritime crime.” However, no state was mentioned in North-central, South-west and South-east zones.

Many analysts have described the federal government’s position as the height of grandstanding. They said all the Nigerians was supposed to do was rise to the occasion by responding to the security advisory and engaging the foreign countries issuing the advisories and work collaboratively to prevent security breaches.

Talking about intelligence, these are top countries. The arrest of terrorists also confirms the credibility of the intelligence. The federal government ought to have responded to this early warning signal by engaging the Pentagon on how it could be helped and asked for the intelligence, not just grandstand.

However, intelligence operatives, who spoke on anonymity, told THISDAY that “the security alerts issued by the UK and US missions, were intended to diminish milestone achievements the intelligence community and other security agencies are making to secure the country, notwithstanding emergent security challenges which were not peculiar to Nigeria.

“Already, the security agencies have performed exceeding well in recent times, in terms of interception of calls, arrest of terrorists commanders and elimination of their fighters.

“It is unfortunate that while we share security advisories with the embassies on the need for security consciousness, just as we occasionally announce in public statements, these foreign missions use the same to compromise our security efforts.

“What they did is deliberate, considering that we have been transparent and responsible in providing regular security advisory, especially as we are approaching an election year. They are aware that our recently upgraded military platforms and sophisticated digital technology tools have been assisting security agencies in curbing terrorism and violent crimes across the country

“There are certain successes recorded that cannot be publicly disclosed to avoid jeopardising or compromising national security. Since security matters are highly-strategic and confidential, we don’t go about explaining our vendors who supplied them or the processes and strategies to anyone or the media.”

But it would be recalled that under the current administration, no fewer than 53,418 Nigerians lost their lives to terrorists and foreign killer herdsmen between May 29, 2015 and October 15, 2022, according to data from the Nigerian Security Tracker, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations of the US.

Meanwhile, on the heels of the successive security alerts, the DSS, in collaboration with Nigeria Army operatives last week uncovered boxes of explosives and two pistols in an apartment rented by a terrorist in Trademore Estate located in Lugbe, Abuja. This was contained in a notice issued by the Trademore Estate management to occupants on Wednesday warning them to know their neighbours.

According to the estate management, “It’s no longer news that there was a High Powered Sting Operation in Phase 3 this afternoon, culminating in a complete shutdown of our estate. A combination of the Nigeria Army and DSS team were responsible.

“We are unable to give full details of the reason behind the operation, however, we can confirm that there was an allegation of terrorist activities. It is therefore desperately incumbent on every resident to remain vigilant, KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS and report any suspicious movement, person or activities to the Exco, Street Reps and/the police.

“We will continue to do our utmost best to keep the estate safe for all of us. Everyone is responsible for security and there should be no iota of abdication of this responsibility.”

It is unfortunate that a minister does not realise that well-grounded security alerts and travel advisories by foreign missions to their citizens can also benefit host governments as informed tip-offs on intending attacks. The emerging consensus is that it needn’t provoke prickly reactions from the host nation.

Instead of playing ostrich, the information minister should encourage relevant engagements at the diplomatic level between the two parties to eliminate rough edges, if any. This will produce measurable benefits, especially concerning human security, instead of playing politics with everything to convey the misleading impression that all is well.