Apprehension Over Insecurity in Abuja Unfounded, NSA Assures Residents
PMB
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) on Monday assured residents of Abuja that the apprehension of insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was unfounded.
Monguno while responding to the terror alert raised by the United States assured residents that adequate security arrangement has been made to ensure law and under in the city.
Speaking after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting in which President Muhammadu Buhari presided, the NSA said the panic by the resident was as a result of the US alarm warnings.
The United Kingdom had also raised similar warning followed by actions by European countries.
But Mungonu assured when he spoke on Monday that there should be no need for fear by Abuja residents.
According to him, “I will like to, first and foremost, assure all the citizens of this country that any exaggerated sense of insecurity, any hype about a disintegration of our security forces, intelligence agencies, is unfounded. I want to assure Nigerians that so far, the situation has been under control, the intelligence and security agencies have made a lot of arrests.
“They’re evaluating; they’re exploiting all the materials in their possession. We’re not in the habit of disclosing whatever has been done, but the most important thing is that from the time this story started emerging, until now, about a week to 10 days, you 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 of the Federal Capital Territory has been brought under control and we’re 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 skating on thin ice and we’re about to implode.
“I want to dispel any illusion about any heightened sense of insecurity. It is false; it is irresponsible for anybody to give that signal.
“We’re working with our foreign partners in a responsible way and Nigerians should go about their normal daily undertakings without being put in a situation of fear.”
“The alert was targeted at the citizens of the United States residing in Nigeria, in Abuja, not at the larger Nigerian society. Now, if that thing has cascaded to give a different impression, colouration, there’s nothing anybody can do.
“The damage, whether it is intended or unintended, has been done. People’s minds have been tuned to a state of insecurity, which is quite bad, there’s nothing we can do if the US Embassy has gone out to give an advisory to its citizens and it has also affected other people.
“But what I want you to know is that the advisory was issued to their citizens. As far as we are concerned, our own citizens are not in peril.
“We’ve been sharing intelligence with not just the US, but with other partners and we’ve been acting on the intelligence, we’ve been working. Has anything happened so far? No, nothing has happened; but they went ahead to issue this advisory to their people and, of course, the connotations are there. They could have various reasons for doing that.”
“I don’t have that crystal ball to know the workings of their minds, but the truth is that the alert was for their own citizens. Probably, the way in which it was released became complicated at the end of the day.
“These are conjectures. There’s nothing that is specific. You are right; there will be a lot of interpretations of this alert. It
“Nigerians should be allowed to go about their legitimate undertakings without being put in a tight spot. The country is safe, Abuja is safe, the security elements are doing the best they can. That is the most important thing.
“We just want you to understand that there is no need to aggravate a situation that is not that dire. Nigerians should, please, not allow themselves, because at the end of the day, it will disrupt everything, economic, whatever, people going to school, and so on and so forth. The important thing is for you to realise that that alert had a different purpose.”
Meanwhile, security agents have tightened security in the National Assembly and other establishments.
Monguno while responding to the terror alert raised by the United States assured residents that adequate security arrangement has been made to ensure law and under in the city.
Speaking after the National Security Council (NSC) meeting in which President Muhammadu Buhari presided, the NSA said the panic by the resident was as a result of the US alarm warnings.
The United Kingdom had also raised similar warning followed by actions by European countries.
But Mungonu assured when he spoke on Monday that there should be no need for fear by Abuja residents.
According to him, “I will like to, first and foremost, assure all the citizens of this country that any exaggerated sense of insecurity, any hype about a disintegration of our security forces, intelligence agencies, is unfounded. I want to assure Nigerians that so far, the situation has been under control, the intelligence and security agencies have made a lot of arrests.
“They’re evaluating; they’re exploiting all the materials in their possession. We’re not in the habit of disclosing whatever has been done, but the most important thing is that from the time this story started emerging, until now, about a week to 10 days, you 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 of the Federal Capital Territory has been brought under control and we’re 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 skating on thin ice and we’re about to implode.
“I want to dispel any illusion about any heightened sense of insecurity. It is false; it is irresponsible for anybody to give that signal.
“We’re working with our foreign partners in a responsible way and Nigerians should go about their normal daily undertakings without being put in a situation of fear.”
“The alert was targeted at the citizens of the United States residing in Nigeria, in Abuja, not at the larger Nigerian society. Now, if that thing has cascaded to give a different impression, colouration, there’s nothing anybody can do.
“The damage, whether it is intended or unintended, has been done. People’s minds have been tuned to a state of insecurity, which is quite bad, there’s nothing we can do if the US Embassy has gone out to give an advisory to its citizens and it has also affected other people.
“But what I want you to know is that the advisory was issued to their citizens. As far as we are concerned, our own citizens are not in peril.
“We’ve been sharing intelligence with not just the US, but with other partners and we’ve been acting on the intelligence, we’ve been working. Has anything happened so far? No, nothing has happened; but they went ahead to issue this advisory to their people and, of course, the connotations are there. They could have various reasons for doing that.”
“I don’t have that crystal ball to know the workings of their minds, but the truth is that the alert was for their own citizens. Probably, the way in which it was released became complicated at the end of the day.
“These are conjectures. There’s nothing that is specific. You are right; there will be a lot of interpretations of this alert. It
“Nigerians should be allowed to go about their legitimate undertakings without being put in a tight spot. The country is safe, Abuja is safe, the security elements are doing the best they can. That is the most important thing.
“We just want you to understand that there is no need to aggravate a situation that is not that dire. Nigerians should, please, not allow themselves, because at the end of the day, it will disrupt everything, economic, whatever, people going to school, and so on and so forth. The important thing is for you to realise that that alert had a different purpose.”
Meanwhile, security agents have tightened security in the National Assembly and other establishments.
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