The federal government Monday frowned at the travel advisories issued by some foreign embassies to their officials and citizens in Nigeria, describing the alarm as false and irresponsible.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd) said this while speaking to State House correspondents after an emergency security meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
The United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia and other countries, had recently issued security alerts about imminent attacks by terrorists on the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, asking their citizens to vacate the city.
But the Nigerian government dismissed the call, describing it as unnecessary alarm.
Monguno
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Gen. Moguno said the terror alerts were needless, adding that the hype and the sense of insecurity the alerts created were unfounded.
The NSA, who spoke in company of Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyema and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, however, urged Nigerians and other residents to go about their businesses without fear.
“Security and intelligence agencies are not resting on their oars to ensure that all Nigerians and every part of the country remains safe.
“From the time this alarming story came out until now, about a week to 10 days, we can see that so far, the situation has been brought under control.
“The issue of Nigerians being made to panic is unnecessary, the situation in various areas, the Federal Capital Territory, the situation has been brought under control.
“We are trying as much as possible to work with our neighbours and within the domestic situation to work with our foreign partners in a responsible way without giving the impression that Nigeria is setting on thin ice to explore.
“That has come to dispel any illusion about any sense of heightened insecurity.
“It is false, it is irresponsible for anybody to give that signal. We are working with our foreign partners in a responsible way and Nigerians should go back to their normal daily undertakings without being put in a situation of fear,” Monguno stated.
Also speaking, Onyeama called on Nigerians to ignore the security threat and travel advisory issued by the U.S. and U.K, and continue with their daily routines.
Onyeama stressed that the threat and advisory were mainly issued to the citizens of the countries that originated them.
The minister added that it has been the norm for the United States to make such pronouncements to its citizens, as dictated by its constitution just as the country simultaneously did in South Africa.
“Nigeria has been engaging the United States on intelligent sharing; it’s been the norm for US to make such pronouncement.
“We engage the US from this, and their response was that they are obliged to put out those kinds of statements, normally travel advisories.
“But in this case, it was an alert, but they said that they were obliged to, for their citizens, and that the advice, you know, the alert was really, for their citizens.
“They do it around the world, as you know, they did it also in South Africa, in this particular case,” he said.
Also, allaying the fears of Nigerians occasioned by the terror alert, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Irabo, said security agencies had been on their toes to thwart all threats.
Those in attendance at the meeting included Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and the NSA.
Others were Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Isiaka Amao.
Also in attendance were the Inspector-General of Police Alkali Baba, Director-General Department of State Service (DSS) Yusuf Bichi and Director-General National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Ahmed Rufai.
Gov Sule slams U.S, others
Also, Nasarawa state Governor Abdullahi Sule dismissed the terror attack threats on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by some foreign governments, saying no country can scare Nigerians in their country.
Governor Sule assured that Nigeria is safe and will continue to be safe.
He, however, charged the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel, as well as other security agencies in the country to rise to the occasion and defend the country against terror attack threats.
Speaking Monday in Abuja, during the foundation laying ceremony of the 200-room capacity NSCDC Cooperatives House at the Corps’ Headquarters, Governor Sule charged the security agencies not to be cowed.
He said Nasarawa state is one of the most secure states in the country because the security agencies had been doing their job.
Sule said: “We cannot allow anybody to scare us around the world that our country is not safe. Nigeria is safe; Nigeria will continue to be safe. Do not allow criminals to cow us.
“When the US announced the security alert, UK followed, Australia followed and people are scared of coming to Abuja.
“In Nasarawa state, we had our first security meeting to address the issues because we cannot take issues of security lightly and I encourage you, we can’t also be cowed by anybody.
“Nigeria belongs to us, Nigeria is our only country. We must get up as members of the NSCDC and all the other security agencies in the country and defend our nation and not allow any criminal to overtake us.
“Nobody can scare us from coming to Abuja but as you go out there to do your work [do it] as members of the NSCDC…and also as people of Nigeria and that you are doing it for your own children and grandchildren.
“So you should do your best to defend this country and do not allow criminals to cow us into where we are. That is not how it is supposed to be and we cannot continue to do that.”
The governor applauded the NSCDC’s Agro Rangers for the peace being enjoyed in Nasarawa state, saying they had secured farms and reduced the misunderstanding between farmers and herders in the state.
Borno deputy governor
In the same vein, Borno state Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur commended the NSCDC for securing the farms on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
Kadafur who represented Governor Babagana Zulum at the occasion, also praised the agency for recruiting many members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) who could have become a security risk at the end of the insurgency in the country.
CG NSCDC
Speaking on the essence of the event, Commandant General NSCDC Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, said the idea of the Cooperative House “is in furtherance of staff welfare programmes aimed at enhancing the financial status of the Cooperative Society towards uplifting the standard of its members.
“It is expected upon completion to increase the fortunes of the Cooperative Society and impact positively on the Corps welfare drive for its members, being an additional source of generating funds for its activities.
“The Cooperative House is designed to accommodate such facilities as conference centres, event centres, shopping mall, guest house, gym and other recreational facilities/services that will be available for use not only by its members, but will also be open for use by the general public.”
He, however, warned that his leadership “will not fold our arms and condone any act of indiscipline and mismanagement of resources placed under your care to the detriment of the welfare of your members.”
…Buhari heads to UK for medical check-up
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja for London, the United Kingdom for a routine medical check-up.
This comes shortly after he presided over an emergency meeting with security chiefs at the State House Abuja.
According to a tweet Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari is expected back in the country in the “second week of November.”
Earlier, the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, had announced that Buhari would proceed to London from Kenya for “routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.”
