Authorities of the Nigerian Police Force, the Directorate of State Services, DSS, the Military and sister security agencies have hit the ground running following confirmation of the security alert issued by the United States and United Kingdom Missions in Nigeria, of plots by Boko Haram terrorist group to carry out suicide bombing attacks on strategic government assets, as well as crowded places like markets and motor parks in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and six other states.

Security sources confirmed at the weekend, that hundreds of degraded Boko Haram terrorists’ from Sambisa Forests, Bama, Konduga, Gwoza and other parts of the North East, have escaped to the FCT and were currently disguising their identities, but meeting secretly to launch deadly attacks on the city.

Consequently, a joint security team of 500 personnel with counter-terrorism experience and training, drawn from the Police, DSS, Army, Navy, Air Force, NSCDC, Immigration and Customs, as well as other para-military agencies, have been activated to carry out pre-emptive raids and strikes on suspected hideouts and meeting places of suspects. Already, in some raids on suspected hideouts as exposed by very reliable informants with inside contacts within the terrorists group, the security team stormed meeting points in the Nyanya-Maraba axis in the ‘dead of the night’, and apprehended over 195 suspects with dangerous weapons and devices recovered.

A source privy to the raids disclosed that after the operation, officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, who are part of the team weeded out close to 40 foreign nationals made up of Chadians, Nigeriens and other nationals with questionable intentions. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), on its part, weeded out another 60 others, suspected to be involved in drug peddling and usage.

Continuing, the source disclosed that throughout the Yuletide period, the joint security outfit will work round the clock, noting that its next target after Nyanya-Mararaba, would be the Kubwa-Suleija axis, where a large concentration of Boko Haram escapees are believed to be hibernating. In furtherance of its strategic operations, it was also gathered that the team would move into some suspected black spots in the Gwagwalada, Kwali-Yangoji and Abaji axis. This would be with a view to ensuring that terrorists’ sympathisers and runaway members don’t get a foothold in the FCT.

•Sourced from Sunday Vanguard.

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