Nigeria on Friday dismissed reports of an impending foreign terror attack on Abuja the capital city, declaring as false the media accounts about the plan.
These were declared by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who spoke to State House correspondents after an emergency meeting of the National Security Council on Friday.
The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday in Abuja.
NIS released the information in a letter dated December 23, 2021, under the heading, ‘Terrorists Plan Attacks In Abuja’. NIS said the information on the planned attack came from the Presidency.
Edirin Okoto, the Land Border Patrol Commander, signed the letter on behalf of the Acting Comptroller General of Immigration Service, Idris Jere. The letter said the terrorists were coming from Mali, adding that one of them was in possession of a diplomatic passport
But Aregbesola, declared that Abuja is safe, secured from any form of terrorist attacks.
“I’ve given you the outcome of the Security Council meeting, but to your question, there isn’t any threat to the safety and security of Abuja,” the minister said in response to a question.
“Abuja is secure and very safe. If there was a leak, as you mentioned, it could just be an operational alert that does not require any worry or concern.
“The Council has mandated us to assure Nigerians of their safety, of their security and enduring peace for the period of the festivities,’’ he said.
All these are happening against the backdrop of rocket attacks on Maiduguri by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Thursday shortly before the visit to Borno by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Shortly before the president’s visit, multiple explosions rocked the capital with rockets landing on many houses around Ngomari, Bulumkutu, and Ayafe near the airport. As a result of that, there was a massive deployment of troops to battle with ISWAP members.
But responding to reporters’ questions on this development, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, said that the terrorists were unable to achieve their objectives with the rocket attacks.
“They are launching it in major towns, they are launching it in Maiduguri. It is a concern. And it has been seriously checkmated. There are efforts to continuously checkmate it.
“What they have done yesterday (Thursday), yes, they have done it, but to a large extent, they have not achieved what they have intended to achieve because of the measures the security agencies, particularly the military, put in place,” he said
“Yes, it had been done before and even after. Some of those who must have planned and thrown those rockets have been taken out,” he said.
