Buhari to Meet Security Chiefs, Postpones Event

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), will today (Monday) hold an emergency meeting with security chiefs in Abuja.

Buhari, who was earlier scheduled to inaugurate the NASENI Complex, summoned the meeting which is expected to review and strengthen the security network in the country.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the ceremony had been postponed.

This is happening against the backdrop of the Saturday bomb blast in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, which claimed 100 lives and injured about 300 persons. On Sunday, the death toll rose to 104.

Shehu’s statement titled, ‘President Buhari calls for an emergency security meeting, postpones NASENI complex commissioning,’ read, ‘’The President, who was initially scheduled to commission the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure new Technology and Innovation Complex, will receive briefs from the security chiefs, and interject on areas that need more attention.

The inauguration of the NASENI complex will hold at a later date.’’

Amid the travel advisories issued by the United States and the United Kingdom, Buhari had on Friday urged Nigerians to remain calm and vigilant.

Buhari, who stated that Nigerians’ safety remains the highest priority of the government, noted that security agents were proactively rooting out threats to keep citizens safe.

Speaking on the actions taken to keep the nation’s capital safe, the Spokesperson for the FCT Police, DSP Josephine Adeh said the Commissioner of Police, Babaji Sunday have been interfacing with stakeholders – estates, gardens and parks, motor parks, high-rise buildings and hotel owners in Abuja before the reported imminent terror attack alert.

She said, “The CP has been interfacing with stakeholders; estates, gardens and parks, motor parks, high-rise buildings, and hotel owners in the FCT before now. This is a routine, and it was not borne out of the reported imminent terror attack alert making the rounds.

“Our duty is to secure the FCT, the people and their properties, and we have been doing that even before now, and we’ve intensified our operation since the alert.

“The CP had met with hotel and high-rise building owners to ensure the installation of CCTV cameras on their premises for security reasons. He had met with estate owners not to allow hotels in the estates which are residential areas. We also relate with public transportation workers’ unions to ensure they know their drivers and workers. He has met with garden owners too, all to ensure security and safety.”

The Senior Assistant to the FCT Minister on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Attah Ikharo told The PUNCH on Sunday that his unit had pulled down illegal settlements in Gwarimpa, Katampe and other unapproved areas in the capital.

“We discovered that people are building illegal shanties in cashew plantations and using them as bases for criminal activities. So, we have raided cashew forests in Gwarimpa, katampe, Bwari, Karsana District, Kubwa and in other places like Durumi which we will raid this week,’’ he stated.