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Abuja and Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Defence Headquarters has advised residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) not to panic over alleged plans by Boko Haram terrorists to attack the nation’s capital.
Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major Gen. John Enenche who stated this told FCT residents to go about their lawful businesses, but report any suspicious movements to security agencies.
The assurance came in the wake of a security alert by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) placing its officers and men on red alert following intelligence reports that terrorists have flooded the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja and were planning to carry out coordinated attacks on five locations.
The NCS listed Kunyam Bush along airport road off DIA Staff Quarters, Abuja; Robochi/Gwagwalada Forest; Kwaku forest, Kuje, Abuja; Unaisha forest in Toto Local Government of Nasarawa State and Gegu forest close to Idu town in Kogi State areas terrorists have reportedly set up camps
But Enenche said the military working in conjunction with other security agencies have been placed on red alert to combat crime and ensure effective surveillance of the FCT and other states.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has introduced air drops of foods and non-food items to hard-to-reach areas and those trapped in remote communities in Borno State.
Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq stated this in Maiduguri during the demonstration of the air drop by Nigerian Air Force choppers.
“There have been issues of inaccessible of some areas where humanitarian workers cannot reach the people, maybe due to the terrain or other issues. So we are collaborating withthe Nigerian Air Force in the air drop of these reliefs and other non food items to communities,” Farouq said assuring that the government would identify inaccessible communities to know the kind of intervention that the people needed.
On the possibility of Boko Haram hijacking the air dropped aid, the minister assured that air surveillance would be put in place to ensure the exercise benefited the targetted persons.
Commander Air Task Force, NAF Maiduguri, Air Commander Precious Amadi, said the exercise was one of the supports from the Air Force to the communities.
“The purpose of this air drop is to get relief to any locations we cannot access for whatever reasons. NAF has the capacity to drop foods or any relief so that there won’t be a case of people being starved of food,” he said.
It was learnt that scores of people have been trapped in some communities around the Lake Chad shores in the northern part of Borno, either due to the recent upsurge in Boko Haram attacks or the difficult terrain caused by recent downpour.
