The Federal Government of Nigeria has been advised to seek foreign help urgently in order to tackle the problems of insecurity in the country.

According to a statement by a renowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri, this became very imperative to enable Nigerians to live in peace.

He also called on the government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in order to tackle the problem with all the seriousness it deserved.

Onitiri said the only option left was to urgently seek foreign assistance.

“We wake up daily to hear news of our youths, women, and citizens being raped, kidnapped, maimed, and killed.

“While the country is in a state of war with the bandits, our students are out of school for over five months. All our higher institutions are under lock and key. This is unacceptable to Nigerians,” Onitiri lamented.

Onitiri explained that the Kuje Prison and the Kaduna military formations attacks were sour in the mouth. “It’s like our sovereignty as a nation has been eroded.”

THE Lassa fever cases in Nigeria have jumped to 857 and 164 people have so far died from the disease in the first seven months of 2022.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said this in its latest Lassa fever situation report for week 29, which showed that there were 857 confirmed cases of the disease in the country.

The NCDC said that the cases were distributed across 24 states and 99 local government areas in the country.

It said that 54 healthcare workers had been infected with the disease.

“A breakdown indicated that of all confirmed cases, Ondo has 30 per cent Edo, 26 per cent and Bauchi 14 per cent states.

“In week 29, the number of new confirmed cases increased from five in week 28, 2022 to cases. These were reported from Edo and Ondo States.

“Cumulatively from week 1 to week 29, 2022, 164 deaths have been reported with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 19.1 per cent which is lower than the CFR for the same period in 2021, 23.7 per cent.

“In total for 2022, 24 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 99 Local Government Areas. Of all confirmed cases, 70 per cent are from Ondo, 30 per cent Edo 26 per cent and Bauchi 14 per cent cases.

“The predominant age group affected is 21-30 years range: 0 to 90 years, Median Age:30 years. The male-to-female ratio for confirmed cases is 1:0.8.

“The number of suspected cases has increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2021. One new healthcare worker was affected in Ondo State,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic fever transmitted by rats.

It has been known since the 1950s, but the virus was not identified until 1969 when two missionary nurses died from it in the town of Lassa in Nigeria.

Even after recovery, the virus remains in body fluids, including semen. Neighbouring countries are also at risk, as the animal vector for the Lassa virus, the “multimammate rat” (Mastomys natalensis) is distributed throughout the region.

The recent surge in terror attacks in Abuja has sparked fresh security fears across the country’s main cities over the large number of undocumented foreigners who are mainly engaged as guards and other domestic hands.

Residents and security experts say such foreigners could turn easy tools in the hands of terrorists.

The concentration of the aliens is pronounced in the highbrow parts of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna, according to an investigation by our reporters.

In Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Banana Island, Ikeja GRA and Magodo in Lagos as well as Maitama, Asokoro and Guzape in Abuja, for example, the gates of many of the houses are manned by such foreigners.

Some uncompleted houses and those under construction in those areas are also largely occupied by them.

When they are less busy, those on a particular street will usually gather in groups discussing or eating.

Some of the foreigners serve as maids and servants. But because many of them speak passable English or pidgin English, have accent similar to what obtains in some parts of Nigeria, and seem to have assimilated the Nigerian culture, it is sometimes difficult to identify them.

A civil servant, John Adeyemo, who lives in Asokoro, Abuja is not comfortable with the disposition of some of them.

He said he knows a lot of other residents of the area who live in fear on account of the security situation in the FCT and the vulnerability of the foreigners to be used as tools by terrorists.

Adeyemo charged the government to document such people and monitor them.

“The security situation in Abuja calls for concern and the security agencies need to double up. We are living in fear and no one knows who,” he said.

A resident of Maitama, Abuja, who does not want his name in print, said though some of the security guards are good, some are not living up to expectations in line with their security job.

He said: “The security situation is worrisome. Imagine employing a security guard that is not a Nigerian and you do not know where he comes from. Government should intervene and we should have their data for records purposes.

“When residents of the capital city of a country not only move around with a sense of foreboding and fear but also feel uncertain about the capacity of the authorities to deal with the challenge, there is a problem.”

A resident of one of the estates at Atamkpe, Abuja, who preferred to be called Jane, said the foreigners in that part of the FCT usually start with looking for menial jobs especially at building sites, and once they succeed would move into any uncompleted building they can find around.

She said: “Their numbers continue to swell. Although they are not constituting any nuisance, we need to be careful now in view of what is currently happening in the country. It is very important to know who your neighbour is.”

Mr. Ola Oyewole, a business man who lives in Asokoro, Abuja and employed a Ghanaian as security guard, had nice things to say about his employee of 10 years.

But he expressed support for documentation of foreign guards, saying: “The issue of having the data of security guards especially foreigners is a welcome development for security purposes. I am also very careful with my security guard. I don’t expose him to my secrets.”

Some residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, charged security agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of men from Niger whose wives and children beg for alms in day time.

A lady, who identified herself simply as Nengi, said they could be found around Agip, Waterline and other parts of Port Harcourt insisting that in view of the security situation in the country, such persons should be monitored.

She said: “During the day, you see their children and wives begging for alms but you won’t see their men. The men only surface in the night. I feel that their activities should be monitored.

“Besides, there is hunger in town and such condition can make them become willing tools to persons who want to breach the security.”

While employment of foreigners as mai guard is not particularly new in the Lagos metropolis, the large presence of such people, especially in the highbrow areas, is causing anxiety.

There is hardly any street in such places that does not have up to 12 foreign guards.

Some landlords in the densely populated areas of the city also have such foreigners guarding them and their families all day. But some of them are already having a rethink.

Alhaji Hakeem Owolabi, who has a property at Meiran, Alagbado said: “Many of us who are landlords are skeptical about giving our houses or frontage to aliens because of the reports linking them to violent attacks.

“Also, we no longer hire them as security guards to stave off a situation whereby things would get out of hand or go beyond control.”

A resident of Ikeja, Adewale Johnson, bemoaned the influx of some foreign nationals in places like Oregun, Ogba, Ojota, Alausa and Maryland among others.

“The number of these people has increased significantly over the years. If you want to verify my claims, please visit Oregun, Ojodu, Ojota, Ogba, Maryland and Alausa, among others.

“Most of them work as guards in companies, residential buildings and sleep in open spaces and shelter provided by their employers and benefactors.

“With threats of attack by Boko Haram in Lagos, residents and property owners feel that the large presence of these people may be inimical to peace and security of the environment because they cannot be traced in the event that they perpetrate heinous crime and flee.”

The recent surge in terror attacks in Abuja has sparked fresh security fears across the country’s main cities over the large number of undocumented foreigners who are mainly engaged as guards and other domestic hands.

Residents and security experts say such foreigners could turn easy tools in the hands of terrorists.

The concentration of the aliens is pronounced in the highbrow parts of Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kaduna, according to an investigation by our reporters.

In Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island, Banana Island, Ikeja GRA and Magodo in Lagos as well as Maitama, Asokoro and Guzape in Abuja, for example, the gates of many of the houses are manned by such foreigners.

Some uncompleted houses and those under construction in those areas are also largely occupied by them.

When they are less busy, those on a particular street will usually gather in groups discussing or eating.

Some of the foreigners serve as maids and servants. But because many of them speak passable English or pidgin English, have accent similar to what obtains in some parts of Nigeria, and seem to have assimilated the Nigerian culture, it is sometimes difficult to identify them.

A civil servant, John Adeyemo, who lives in Asokoro, Abuja is not comfortable with the disposition of some of them.

He said he knows a lot of other residents of the area who live in fear on account of the security situation in the FCT and the vulnerability of the foreigners to be used as tools by terrorists.

Adeyemo charged the government to document such people and monitor them.

“The security situation in Abuja calls for concern and the security agencies need to double up. We are living in fear and no one knows who,” he said.

A resident of Maitama, Abuja, who does not want his name in print, said though some of the security guards are good, some are not living up to expectations in line with their security job.

He said: “The security situation is worrisome. Imagine employing a security guard that is not a Nigerian and you do not know where he comes from. Government should intervene and we should have their data for records purposes.

“When residents of the capital city of a country not only move around with a sense of foreboding and fear but also feel uncertain about the capacity of the authorities to deal with the challenge, there is a problem.”

A resident of one of the estates at Atamkpe, Abuja, who preferred to be called Jane, said the foreigners in that part of the FCT usually start with looking for menial jobs especially at building sites, and once they succeed would move into any uncompleted building they can find around.

She said: “Their numbers continue to swell. Although they are not constituting any nuisance, we need to be careful now in view of what is currently happening in the country. It is very important to know who your neighbour is.”

Mr. Ola Oyewole, a business man who lives in Asokoro, Abuja and employed a Ghanaian as security guard, had nice things to say about his employee of 10 years.

But he expressed support for documentation of foreign guards, saying: “The issue of having the data of security guards especially foreigners is a welcome development for security purposes. I am also very careful with my security guard. I don’t expose him to my secrets.”

Some residents of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, charged security agencies to beam their searchlight on the activities of men from Niger whose wives and children beg for alms in day time.

A lady, who identified herself simply as Nengi, said they could be found around Agip, Waterline and other parts of Port Harcourt insisting that in view of the security situation in the country, such persons should be monitored.

She said: “During the day, you see their children and wives begging for alms but you won’t see their men. The men only surface in the night. I feel that their activities should be monitored.

“Besides, there is hunger in town and such condition can make them become willing tools to persons who want to breach the security.”

While employment of foreigners as mai guard is not particularly new in the Lagos metropolis, the large presence of such people, especially in the highbrow areas, is causing anxiety.

There is hardly any street in such places that does not have up to 12 foreign guards.

Some landlords in the densely populated areas of the city also have such foreigners guarding them and their families all day. But some of them are already having a rethink.

Alhaji Hakeem Owolabi, who has a property at Meiran, Alagbado said: “Many of us who are landlords are skeptical about giving our houses or frontage to aliens because of the reports linking them to violent attacks.

“Also, we no longer hire them as security guards to stave off a situation whereby things would get out of hand or go beyond control.”

A resident of Ikeja, Adewale Johnson, bemoaned the influx of some foreign nationals in places like Oregun, Ogba, Ojota, Alausa and Maryland among others.

“The number of these people has increased significantly over the years. If you want to verify my claims, please visit Oregun, Ojodu, Ojota, Ogba, Maryland and Alausa, among others.

“Most of them work as guards in companies, residential buildings and sleep in open spaces and shelter provided by their employers and benefactors.

“With threats of attack by Boko Haram in Lagos, residents and property owners feel that the large presence of these people may be inimical to peace and security of the environment because they cannot be traced in the event that they perpetrate heinous crime and flee.”