May 29: Security Forces Ramp Up Raids on Terror Enclaves

•FCT, other parts placed on red alert, suicide bomber blows self up in Kaduna

•NSA, DSS, police give advisory to incoming governors

Chuks Okocha and Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Ahead of the May 29 handover of date, security forces have intensified raids on terror enclaves to ensure a successful transfer of power.

This comes as the Department of State Security (DSS), yesterday, said a terrorist targeting fighting forces blew himself up during a raid in Kaduna.

At the same time, the National Security Adviser, General  Mohammed Monguno, the Director General of the DSS, Bichi Mogaji and the Inspector  General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, yesterday, gave security advisory to the new governors.

THISDAY gathered that security forces were deployed massively across the country in a renewed bid to neutralise potential threats to the presidential inauguration and contain a resurgence of terror attacks.

Military authorities, the police high command and the intelligence agencies, had at different fora, restated security forces’ preparedness for a seamless transition, a situation that prompted the launch of a massive, ongoing joint security operation.

THISDAY also learnt that there was a security red alert in the nation’s capital and some parts of the country ahead of the inauguration.

“There is a round-the-clock operation in place to ensure a smooth inauguration. We are ready for any eventuality,” a security source said.

Meanwhile, a statement by the spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Afunanya, said its operatives, police and troops raided hideouts of insurgents in parts of Kaduna and Kano States.

“The Department of State Services (DSS) hereby informs the public that the service and troops of the Nigerian Army and Police Force, in the early hours of 15th May, 2023, simultaneously raided hideouts of insurgents and terrorists in parts of Kaduna and Kano States.

“During the raid in Kaduna State, the terrorists deployed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) against the fighting forces. One of the terrorists, who wore suicide jacket blew himself up while three  suspects were arrested. Items recovered upon a search on the group’s accommodation, after Police EOD had diffused other IEDs, were two suicide jackets, one  AK-47 rifle, a pistol and one  laptop,” it said.

In Kano State, the agency said, two  suspects were arrested while the following items were recovered: a pistol, 11 mobile phones, two  hand grenades, one  fully charged AK-47 magazine, two empty AK-47 magazine, one  Peugeot 307 car and an ID card belonging to a suspect that escaped.

“Intelligence had earlier revealed that high profile terrorist targets were regrouping in the North-west to carry out dastardly acts in the area. Notably, the steady military operations in the North-east have necessitated the insurgents’ escape to the North-west and North-Central zones, where they are establishing active cells.

“The service commends the Nigerian Military and Police for their resilience and support, which led to the success of the operation. The sustained inter-agency synergy is, without doubt, a game changer in the counter-threat actions.

“The service wishes to state and very clearly, that it will continue to collaborate with sister agencies to rid the nation of criminal elements particularly at this transition period and even beyond.

“This is more so that certain persons are desperate to undermine the process. But the service will resist this and ensure a seamless event. It will always cooperate with stakeholders to achieve a peaceful environment critical to the pursuit of legitimate businesses by law abiding citizens and residents,” the DSS said.

NSA, DSS, Police Give Security Advisory to Incoming Govs

In continuation of the induction seminar for the re-elected and new governors, the National Security Adviser, General Mohammed Monguno, the Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS) Bichi Mogaji and the Inspector  General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, yesterday, gave security advisory to the new governors.

In the same vain, the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo, and his Imo State counterpart, Hope Uzodimma, yesterday, described the governors as “generals without troops”, and as such, advised that they be on the same page with the president on issues of security as he is the commander-in-chief.

Speaking at the second day of the induction seminar for incoming governors by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), the NSA represented by Joseph Dahwuep appealed to the incoming governors to adopt good governance as a policy, saying part of the security issues in the states were fallout of some of the polices from the states.

He also advised that the governors should form an inclusive cabinet and not stereotype any group as opposition to their administration.

“Election are over. This is the time for good governance. Please endeavour to ensure an inclusive government to enable you have a good governance at the state levels.

“Nigeria is not an exception to insecurity. Insecurity is a global item now. Security includes good governance and human rights of all. Security includes reducing poverty and unemployment at the state levels. Without security, there won’t be security.”

In his advisory, the DSS DG represented by Mohammed, called on the new governors to always work on early warnings and endeavour to go through reports presented to them by their special aides.

He gave an instance of a state in 2003, where a sitting governor lost election because he failed to listen to the report of scarcity of water but his opponent saw the report and used water tankers to provide water to the community and at the election, the governor lost.

He also urged the governors to listen to traditional rulers and informants, asking to pay attention to when people who don’t speak their languages or dialect enter their towns or state, stating that they should find a way to find out who they are.

The Inspector General of Police represented by an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Gala Ciroma, called on the governors to endeavour to reduce poverty and unemployment as a hungry man is an angry man.

The Police boss urged them to be technology-efficient as criminals now use telephones and other technological equipment in their dangerous trade.

Speaking, Soludo said that all crimes are now localised and so, “my central point here to make is that security or insecurity is largely a local issue. Every locality has its own peculiarities and the most fundamental issue, I think for those of us who are governors, and the governors-elect, a major concern that we need to get onto is that the national security architecture and the moderator aptly pointed that out, places much of the kinetic architecture almost exclusively on the shoulders of the federal government.

“And whereas the states are called upon as chief security officers, you aptly call us generals without troops, and therefore, state governors have to, I mean, what we’ll be discussing from the point of view of these places are coping mechanisms.

“How do we hope to survive in a dysfunctional system, because the architecture is dysfunctional, and it is such an architecture that the problems we face are very local, requiring our local actions, but the instrument is out there.”

In his speech, Uzodinma said he was in the same position with his counterpart but advised that on security issues, governors should be on the same page with the president because he is the commander-in-chief.