*The US advisory should be watched well – Patriotic Citizens
By KEMI KASUMU
The Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria says it has received several enquiries relating to the security advisory issued by the US Embassy in Abuja, which went out in the news on Sunday October 23, 2022.
While reminding members of the public that it had variously issued similar warnings in the past and advising that necessary precautions are taken by all and sundry, the Service enjoined upon the populace to remain alert and assist security agencies with useful information regarding threats and suspicious criminal acts around them.
It will be recalled that the American Embassy had, in an advisory, raised the alarm of an imminent attack on the city of Abuja.
In the US alert dated 23rd October, 2022 it said, “There is an elevated risk of terror attacks in Nigeria, has specifically in Abuja. Targets may include, but are not limited to, government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, athletic gatherings, transport terminals, law enforcement facilities, a d International organisations. The U.S. Embassy will offer reduced services until further notice.”
But the nation’s secret service, according to a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Dr. Peter Afunaya, dated 23rd October, 2022 and a copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Monday, called for calm as it assures of its all-round works with other law enforcement agencies and stakeholders to maintain peace and order in and outside Abuja.
The US advisory should be watched well – Patriotic Citizens
In the meantime, some concerned citizens, who are worried that the America’s security advisory is coming at a time the nation is enjoying relative peace across the regions even in the more adamant IPOB terrorists dominated South East after Boko Haram activities are now stopped in the North East, are asking authorities of Nigeria to be vigilant and watchful even over foreign agents who are issuing the advisory.
One of them said, “To me, the advisory coming from U.S. is suspicious, considering all that we have been hearing about how crises are brewed in parts of the world only for some foreign organisations, who show interest in rendering help, to be found complicit in the crises.
“From the background of this concern, it is important that we as Nigerians rally round our government, the armed forces, security and intelligence agencies to say we can solve our problems by ourselves and that we do not need any foreign agency to determine what time we should rest from disturbances of terrorists and when we should face fresh ones. God forbid! Our soldiers and security officers fight these terrorists are also human beings. Stop creating more problems for them. It is also national wealth that is used to buy military hardware to prosecute the wars. Let Nigeria rest!” He screamed.
He added that, “All of these things are a way foreign collaborators interfere in local affairs of other nation’s, especially we are now in electioneering season. They know that President Muhammadu Buhari, despite their efforts to help truncate his government and country, is now well positioned and on ground to conduct a free, fair and credible transition process. Who doesn’t know that Nigeria has so many such enemies who don’t want him succeed, especially with a Buhari that insists ‘we must produce what we need’?
“Our security and intelligence agencies have been doing their work and we, as people, will continue to support them with information like we have done and which led to the successes recorded lately. Whenever President Buhari pronounces his achievements, they must try to put sand. No Way! Let no one truncate our moment of joy and peace. We trust in our security forces and agencies to tackle whatever fresh insecurity they are plotting again because we have defeated their tactics of using religious groups to complicate our security situation. Reason the like of TY Danjuma making incitive statements must no longer be allowed,” the patriotic citizen, who refused to state his identity, said.
