The Federal Government has expressed grave concern over the ability of Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) to fire rockets, targeting some areas in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
Persecondnews recalls that multiple explosions had rocked Maiduguri hours before the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state on Thursday.
ISWAP, operating in Borno state, fired rockets at many houses around Ngomari, Bulumkutu and Ayafe near the airport.
However, there was massive deployment of troops to the area to foil the terrorists’ attack.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the Security Council meeting presided over by President Buhari, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, disclosed that the terrorists were unable to achieve their objectives with the rocket launch.
The IGP said: “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.
“To a large extent, they have not achieved what they have intended to achieve because of what the security agencies particularly the military have put in place.”
The police boss assured that security agencies are trying to improve on what they are already doing to ensure there is peace, law and order during the Yuletide period and beyond.
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“There is no space, there is no tolerance to any threat to security. There is no sparing of any terrorists and there must be an intelligence gathering.
“There must be proactive prevention of crime and there must be checkmating of all those that are involved in criminal activities, whether it be terrorism, banditry or armed robbery or whatever and that is what we are trying to do to the best of our knowledge and ability,” Baba said.
Also speaking, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who led the briefing on the security meeting outcome, assured that “there is no threat to safety and security in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).”
He was reacting to the leaked memo by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), alerting of the impending terrorists’ attack in the Federal Capital Territory.
Aregbesola said: “Abuja is secure and very safe. If there was a leak, it could just be operational alert that does not require any worry or concern.
“The Council has mandated us to assure Nigerians of their safety and enduring peace for the period of the festivities.
“The message of the Security Council, through you to Nigerians, is that all measures for the safety and security of the Nigerian people and Nigeria are in place for a successful and happy celebration of the Yuletide and the New Year,” he said.
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