Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria get extra security

UN House Abuja aftermarth of bomb attack

Diplomatic Missions in Nigeria get extra security
Godwin Ukaa, Abuja

Security has been beefed up at all diplomatic missions in the Nigerian capital territory Abuja, the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, the Federal Government Secretariat and other key places regarded as flash points.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Mike Zuokumor disclosed this at a press briefing after a joint security meeting chaired by the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed.

The Commissioner, who was joined at the briefing by the Chief of Staff to FCT Minister, Alhaji Musa Yashi, however did not clarify whether any arrest had been made in relation to the attack even as he did not reveal the identity of the group behind the attack.

On information that the Nigerian government was warned of the attack by the dreaded Boko Haram group, the police chief said there was no such information.

Retraining of personnel

He added that the Police headquarters had started upgrading the training of its personnel to face the new challenge as well as curtail it saying,” what is necessary is training and confidence and cooperation from you because everybody must come together, work together and secure our society”.

His words: “That’s why we are meeting. What happened at the UN building is the action of a terrorist suicide bomber and that is why proactively, the FCT decided to partner with the police to make sure that we provide security for all the infrastructure in the FCT. Most of the embassies are being guarded by security personnel, and also the airport is being strengthened with security personnel. You know we have the air force and military and the airport security too”

Flash points

The Police Commissioner said both uniformed and plain-clothed security personnel had been deployed in areas identified as flash points, including the federal secretariat and praying grounds.

He lamented that unlike in Maiduguri where the police were able to gun down a suspected suicide bomber, they were unable to do so in the UN building attack as use of firearms was prohibited in diplomatic areas.

The FCT Chief of Staff, Alhaji Musa Yashi said the FCT was partnering with the police and other security agencies to secure lives and property in the FCT noting that the installation of Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in the FCT was still ongoing.

Yashi said the security measures were being extended to the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory.

“The bomb blast as I said, we look at other areas, flash points, likely areas like the airport, the city centre and the area councils in general to see that this kind of thing does not happen again in the FCT. Measures are being taken by the relevant security agencies”, he said.

Iheanacho/Ekata