Military and Intelligence Sources have expressed misgivings over the terror alerts issued by the United Kingdom and United States Embassies over suspected plots by terrorists to attack the FCT and other targets particularly foreign diplomatic missions noting that the actions were aimed at embarrassing security agencies who have achieved so much in flushing out criminal elements across the country.
Recall that in an updated advise to its nationals following the US earlier warning to its nationals in the country, the US approved the evacuation of its citizens from Abuja insisting that the terror attack threat was imminent.
However, a top source while describing the US actions as hostility towards Nigeria noted that “This unethical stance has political, psychological, educational and economic implications with negative consequences towards Nigeria’s collective security.
He said, “The US has incrementally become hostile to Nigeria’s effort towards addressing our intertwined security challenges. Their unethical stance has political, psychological, educational and economic implications with negative consequences towards Nigeria’s collective security”.
“Nigerians must begin to speak the truth to the US in the face of such intimidating posture. Experience has shown that no one can help us out of our quagmire except Nigerians”.
Wondering “How better can Nigeria’s security be, even with obvious lack of support from the USA”, he said, “Despite the lack of support, the world is witnessing the giant strides being achieved by the Nigerian military and other security agencies”.
“There is no country in the world today that is devoid of one security challenge or the other, the USA inclusive”.
“When this unsubstantiated claims are being disseminated, one is left with the genuine belief that the US is up for a mischief”.
Another top source decried the actions of the US and UK embassies saying, “They are intended to rubbish milestone achievements that are being made by security agencies to keep the country safe, irrespective of emerging security challenges, which are not peculiar to Nigeria”.
“Already, the security agencies have performed exceeding well in recent times, in terms of interception of calls, arrest of terrorists commanders and elimination of their fighters.
“It is unfortunate that while we share security advisories with the embassies on the need for security consciousness, just as we occasionally announce in public statements, these foreign missions use the same to compromise our security efforts.
“What they did is deliberate, considering that we have been transparent and responsible in providing regular security advisory, especially as we are approaching an election year.
“They are aware that our recently upgraded military platforms and sophisticated digital technology tools have been assisting security agencies in curbing terrorism and violent crimes across the country
“There are certain successes recorded that cannot be publicly disclosed to avoid jeopardising or compromising national security. Since security matters are highly-strategic and confidential, we don’t go about explaining our vendors who supplied them or the processes and strategies to anyone or the media”.
Furthermore, a source lamented that the actions portrayed foreign missions as compromising our national security and trying to project themselves as a shadow government.
“Are they the ones to inform Nigerians about any kind of security threat in our land, when no other nation could do that in their countries? What have they achieved with the media frenzy that followed?
“They should know that it is not all intelligence operations that our security agencies must divulge. But that does not mean our security agencies are not on top of every security situation.”
In its updated travel advisory, the US warned its citizens to avoid traveling to 14 states in Nigeria due to insecurity, mentioning states to be avoided as Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe in North-East; Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara in Northwest; Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, and Rivers states in South-South.
No state was mentioned in North-Central, South-West and South-East
(Vanguard)
