DHQ Allays Fears of Impending Terror Attacks on Abuja

*Guards Brigade sets up Board of Inquiry on Kuje incident 

*Security agencies probe alleged presence of terrorists around Karishi Hills

Following the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday allayed fears of alleged impending attacks on Abuja.
This is coming as the Brigade of Guards has also set up a board of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the Kuje incident and the involvement or otherwise of soldiers posted to the correctional facility on the day of the attack.

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) had issued a security alert on planned terror attacks on churches, schools and public infrastructure in Abuja.

Another anonymous alert, patterned after standard security alerts which had trended on social media indicated that there was an influx of unknown persons around Karshi Hills and Orozo, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

According to the alert, some persons were seen regularly and clandestinely going up the hills around Navy Town Estate thus raising high suspicion that the invaders were building camps within the hills which also connect to other adjoining forests within the FCT and Nasarawa State.

The alert said the terrorists planned to attack educational institutions located in the area.
But speaking in Abuja, the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj. Gen. Jimmy Akpor said security agencies were on alert and determined to contain any security threats to the seat of power.

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He said: “Security agencies are not sleeping. They are doing what needs to be done to keep the place safe. A lot of things are being done. Measures have been put in place. Of all the security agencies, none is sleeping”.
On the intelligence alert of an impending attack making the rounds, he said expectations were that the citizenry would provide available information to security forces and not circulate such on social media.

Meanwhile, the Brigade of Guards, charged with the security of the president, his family and the seat of power, said it has set up a board of inquiry to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Kuje Correctional Centre by Boko Haram and the roles, if any, played by soldiers assigned to the facility.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, the Assistant Director of Army Public Relations and Public Relations Officer of the Brigade of Guards, Captain  Godfrey Abakpa, said: “The board of inquiry was set up to ascertain what happened that day to get to the root cause of the attack.
“A board of inquiry has been set up to ascertain what happened that day to get to the root cause of the attack.”

He said contrary to reports that many soldiers were detained in underground cells, no soldiers were in detention.
He, however, affirmed that soldiers deployed to that area were responding to the demands of the investigation.
“Nobody is being detained. The investigation is ongoing. Everybody is telling his side of the story. It is not our job to guard prisons but we respond in support of civil authority.

“The board was set up because it happened within our area of responsibility,” he said.
On the security cordon around the seat of power, he maintained that the measures were taken to ensure that the fleeing inmates, who escaped from Kuje and who may be lurking in the shadows were arrested.

“Checkpoints and patrols were ordered because some of the escapees are believed to be still around like the one arrested in the Area 1 Park,” he said.
He gave the assurance that with the measures in place presently, such an attack would be difficult to come by.

“There should be no panic. There is the tendency that no such further attack will be possible with the arrangements in place,” he explained.

THISDAY