The Nigeria Police has confirmed the threat to attack the Federal Capital Territory by some unnamed terrorist group but has called on residents to remain calm as the authorities are taking measures to avert it.

Speaking at a community stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the FCT Commissioner for Police, CP Sadiq Bello, said, “The threat to attack the city is real; however, we want to assure members of the public that we are working in collaboration with other sister security agencies to ensure that we all enjoy a peaceful Yuletide.

” A lot needs to be done in order to ensure a safer FCT. As such, I hereby call on members of the public to come and work with the Nigeria Police in order to usher in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility as we go into the New Year 2018. This you can do by providing vital information that could lead to the arrest of criminals or the prevention of crimes.

“We also call on members of the public to feel free to tell us how best to police their communities in the spirit of Community Policing.”‎

On the reason for the stakeholders meeting, the CP said,‎ “This stakeholders’ meeting is coming up in a sensitive period of the year. I call it sensitive period because of the security challenges associated with it and also due to the current threat on the peace and security of the Federal Capital Territory.

“The essence of this stakeholders’ meeting is for all of us – the police and members of the public – to come together and address these security challenges so that we can make input that will ensure a hitch-free yuletide.

“On our part, the Nigeria Police, FCT Command, we have been working assiduously to bring down the level of crime and criminality in the city. We know that a lot more need to be done, as such, we promise residents of the FCT that we will continue to do our best to improve the security in the territory so that everybody will go about his/her lawful businesses without fear.”‎

While calling for caution in this period, especially with incidence of the rise in car thefts, CP Bello urged car owners to make sure that anti-car theft devices are installed in vehicles, such as pedal locks, steering locks, trackers, and other safety devices, saying they will help to reduce the incidences of stealing of vehicles from where they are parked.

He also raised the alarm on the increase in the operations of an armed robbery syndicate using tinted vehicles that specialises in going to residential premises in the early evenings, mostly between 6pm to 9pm, and called on residents to be cautious before opening their gates to unknown vehicles.

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