THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba has ordered officers to beef up security in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) amid fears of attacks by terrorists.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Nigerian Police Force Olumuyiwa Adejobi said the IGP ordered additional deployment of assets and intelligence gathering within the FCT.
”The IGP has ordered for additional deployment of assets to strategic areas of the FCT while the Force Intelligence Bureau has been charged on robust intelligence gathering and information sharing amongst other agencies.”
Residents were urged to work with the police to avoid unpleasant occurrences.
”All residents of the FCT are urged to synergise and be on the same page with the police and other security agencies in making sure that we forestall any ugly incidences in and around the FCT,” the statement added.
Security concerns have heightened among residents of the FCT in recent times, especially after an attack on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre on July 5.
Following the jailbreak carried out by members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) had warned their citizens to be more security conscious within the FCT.
A terror attack on a community in the Kwali Area Council of the FCT last week forced the Nigerian government to order the immediate closure of one of its colleges located in the area.
The Nigerian Law school in the Bwari Area Council had also reportedly received a letter from terrorists threatening an attack on the institution.
Troops attached to the Presidential Guards Brigade were deployed to the school for an assessment of the area.
However, gunmen ambushed and killed eight of the soldiers.
The attack came about 24 hours after terrorists threatened to kidnap President Muhammadu Buhari and Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai in a viral video.
It was the second attack targeted at the Presidential Guards Brigade in the past month.
On the night of the Kuje jail break, gunmen had attacked Buhari’s advance convoy on its way to his hometown in Katsina, shooting two soldiers in the process.
