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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Security has been beefed up in and around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the country’s 61st Independence Day celebrate on October 1.
To ensure miscreants and other criminals do not use the occasion to operate, the military, police and other security agents have been placed on high alert and have been embarking on security patrols as a show of force in and around the Nigerian capital.
Similarly, security agencies are said to have demolished some criminal hideouts in the FCT, especially at motor parks to dislodge criminals taking refuge there.
Daily Sun has gathered that following security reports of planned attacks on some places of interest in the FCT during the Independence celebrations, plain clothes operatives have been deployed to all high risk areas to forestall any attacks.
A top security officer who does not want to be mentioned in print told Daily Sun that places like Mararaba, Masaka, Nyanya, Kugbo, Suleja, Gwagwalada, Idu, Karmo, Gwagwa, Zuba, Mabushi, Bwari, Durumi, Apo, Gudu and Utako are under surveillance with plain clothes security operatives.
Security at all exit and entry points into the FCT have been beefed up with personnel of the armed forces, police, DSS, and Civil Defence, among other security agencies, carrying out a stop and search operations.
Sources tell Daily Sun that some criminals have been arrested in the last 48 hours with dangerous weapons coming into the FCT.
5he Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, has meanwhile assured Nigerians of maximum security as the country marks the 61st Independence Anniversary on Friday, October 1.
The IGP, who gave the assurance in a statement, noted that the Force has put in place adequate security measures to protect citizens, ensure the success of all the activities lined-up for the anniversary celebration and prevent any untoward situation throughout the period of the celebration and beyond.
Baba, in the statement signed by Force spokesman Frank Mba, said the the Assistant Inspectors General of Police and Commissioners of Police in all the Zonal and State Commands and the FCT have been directed to lead the Independence Anniversary security operations from their respective zones.
‘They are to ensure high visibility and confidence boosting patrols around the venues of the celebrations, residential areas and other places of public resort to prevent any infiltration by hostile elements,’ Mba said in the statement.
‘The IGP, while congratulating His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Nigerians at large, on the occasion of the Independence Anniversary celebration, pledged the unalloyed loyalty of the NPF to the sovereignty of the country as well as its unflinching commitment to combating crimes and criminality in the country and ensuring the safety of the citizenry.
‘The IGP called on citizens to go about the celebrations in the most peaceful and law abiding manner. He appealed for a new sense of pan-Nigerian spirit, patriotism, love and deliberate efforts by leaders at all levels at deescalating ethnic tensions and suspicions in the land. He further enjoined the citizenry to continue to cooperate with the police and other security agencies in fighting crimes and criminality in the country.’
