Buhari Presides Over Emergency Security Meeting In Abuja As FG Faults US, UK Security Alerts
Amid warning of an imminent terrorist attack on Nigeria, leading to the recent security advisory by the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and other countries, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, presided over the National Security Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. This is even as the Federal Government has faulted the Security advisory by the United States and other countries, warning of an imminent terrorist attack on Nigeria, particularly Abuja.
President Buhari had on Sunday, summoned the emergency security meeting, to further review and strengthen the security network in the country.
A statement by Garba Shehu, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said, President Buhari will receive briefs from the security chiefs and interject on areas that need more attention.
Nigeria Not In Danger Of Imminent Terror Attack – NSA
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has faulted the Security advisory by the United States and other countries, warning of an imminent terrorist attack on Nigeria, particularly on its Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The United States, in a recent security advisory to its citizens in Nigeria, warned of an “elevated risk of terror attacks, particularly in Abuja.”
In a follow up, the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Switzerland, among others, also warned their citizens to avoid travelling to Nigeria, particularly Abuja, because of a potential terror attack in the city.
But briefing State House correspondents at the end of the emergency security meeting called by President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd), said Nigerian citizens are not in danger.
Monguno, who briefed journalists alongside the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, said the panic that followed the US terror alert addressed to its citizens in Nigeria, was unnecessary because the hype and the sense of insecurity it created were unfounded.
He urged Nigerians and other residents to go about their daily lives as usual.
The NSA also stated that the armed forces, security, and intelligence organisations were continuing with their mandate to keep every Nigerian and every area of the nation secure.
Others in attendance included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari.
Others were the Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (Rtd); Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, led the service chiefs, including the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, to the meeting; the Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major-General Samuel Adebayo, was also in attendance.
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