Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, says the military thwarted plans by terrorists to attack Abuja, Kano and other major cities in the country last week.
Last week, terrorists killed over 40 worshippers when they attacked a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.
But Irabor, while stressing that soldiers foiled plans by terrorists to inflict the most devastating attacks on Nigeria, said a repeat of the Owo church attack was also averted in Kano State.
The CDS disclosed this on a Channels Television’s special programme tagged ‘Democracy Day: Giving Hope To Nigerians’.
While speaking on the Owo church terrorists’attack on the programme, Irabor disclosed that large cache of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making materials were recovered before the attacks.
According to the defence chief, ”We recovered a large quantum of arms and ammunition and other materials which, of course, the criminals were intending to use in various parts of the country, including Abuja.
”Perhaps, you may not know that just only the same week of the Owo incident, in Kano, for example, given the intelligence available to security agencies, we were able to botch what would have been the most catastrophic incident within our country.
“In that operation, we recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) making materials.
”That the Owo incident happened does not imply that improvements have not happened. Let me state that this is a process, and if you could take a look at the war stage in countries around the world, you will find incidents of violence and criminality in one way or the other.”
Explaining further, he said, “I will say that a lot has happened; there’s been quite a lot of improvement in terms of the armed forces and other security agencies doing all that is necessary to bring peace to the various troubled regions of the country.
“I can tell you that from last year till now, we have had quite a lot of improvement; from the North East to the North West, North Central, South South, South East and South West. Of, course, there still remains a long haul in terms of addressing the nuances that attend to insecurity in Nigeria.”
The CDS enjoined Nigerians to always trust the military and other security agencies, adding that they can’t expect to win the war against insecurity while withholding information.
He said, “I’m a victim as well as any Nigerian that is on the street. We are all victims together. There’s no one who is on the other side. We are in it together. We are on the frontlines. Trust is not something we need to beg for.
“I will seek and crave the indulgence of all Nigerians to say that there has to be trust. Trust must exist and trust must be given in all respect, so that together we will achieve the state of peace that we so desire.”
