FG dismisses threats of attacks on Abuja, says FCT safe

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, stated this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the emergency meeting of the National Security Council, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Friday in Abuja.

According to the minister, Abuja is safe and secured from terrorist attacks.

“I’ve given you the outcome of the Security Council meeting, but to your question, there isn’t any threat to safety and security of Abuja.

“Abuja is secure and very safe. If there was a leak, as you mentioned, 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, of their security and enduring peace for the period of the festivities,’’ he said.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, who also addressed the correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, condemned Thursday’s rocket attacks on Maiduguri by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Baba said the terrorists were, however, unable to achieve their objectives with the rocket attacks.

“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.

“What they have done yesterday (Thursday), yes, they have done it, but to a large extent, they have not achieved what they have intended to achieve because of the measures the security agencies, particularly the military, put in place,” he said

On whether the security agencies have traced the roots of the rockets, the IGP said it had been done before and after the firing incident occurred.

He said: “Yes, it had been done before and even after. Some of those who must have planned and thrown those rockets have been taken out.”