There are indications that one of the 800 Kuje Prisons inmates who escaped on Monday but were apprehended inside the compound of the US Embassy in Abuja did so in response to the terror alert issued by the diplomatic community on Sunday.
This occurred at the same time that the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) ordered yesterday that several schools that had been closed as a result of the terror alert issued by the US Embassy on Monday should reopen.
Additionally, the government gave security agencies orders to maintain the territory’s law and order and gave people assurances of its dedication to their protection.
This is happening at the same time that the Federal Government yesterday strongly condemned the unconfirmed security alert that several Embassies in the nation had issued on Nigeria.
Joshua John, a 32-year-old terror suspect, was reportedly apprehended by alert security personnel last Thursday about 10.30 p.m. while loitering near the US Embassy in Abuja’s Central Business District.
He confessed to being one of the individuals who escaped from Kuje Prisons during the latest attack on the facility after being questioned.
The circumstances of his being near the US Embassy at the time of his detention are still being determined by the police who performed the arrest.
It was learned that the suspect was taken to one of the Divisions of the Federal Capital Territory police command for custody by a Deputy Superintendent of Police and Unit Commander of the Police Mobile Force, PMF, Squadron 44, who was on special duty at the US Embassy.
As a result, since Monday, detectives from the police command headquarters have been conducting a covert investigation into the suspect.
According to reports, the US Embassy raised the alarm about an increased risk of terrorist strikes in Nigeria, particularly in the country’s capital on Sunday, 24 hours after the suspect’s arrest.
Recall that on July 5, the strongly fortified jail in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, was successfully attacked by Boko Haram’s offshoot group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP.
According to the authorities, 879 prisoners—including all 68 Boko Haram members who were in custody—escapced.
A confirmed member of the violent extremist group was among the roughly half of the escapees that were arrested.
Vanguard’s attempts to reach the FCT police command for comment on the capture of the Boko Haram escapee from Kuje Prison were unsuccessful because the spokesperson, DSP Josephine Adeh, did not even return calls or texts.
FCT directs the reopening of schools and increases security.
Also yesterday, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) gave security organizations a directive to maintain the territory’s law and order while reassuring the populace of its dedication to their safety.
The Federal Capital Territory Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, gave the order at an emergency security meeting he convened with relevant agencies in the nation’s capital. He also ordered the reopening of some schools that some proprietors had hurriedly closed in the wake of the terror alert. Recall that some private schools were shut down in the FCT on Monday as a result of the terror alert raised by the US Embassy in Abuja.
In a statement, Muhammed Hazat Sule, Director of Information and Communication in the FCT Administration, said that problems relating to the security warning were thoroughly examined and that steps were made to maintain the current level of security and prevent any breaches.
“The FCT Administration has appealed on residents of the Federal Capital Territory to be calm as the Security Agencies are working diligently to maintain the status of law and order in the nation’s capital, Abuja,” the statement said.
“The administration wants to reassure the FCT’s citizens that every precaution has been taken to protect people and property.
“During the meeting, the Minister instructed the security services to take all necessary precautions to shield citizens of the FCT from harm by criminals and other dishonest individuals.
“Since the Administration has not given permission for any schools to close, those that have already done so should reopen right now.
“The FCT Minister reiterated his recommendation to residents to always cooperate with the security agencies by providing pertinent information in a timely manner that would help thwart any type of criminality.
Therefore, the FCT Administration asked locals and tourists to the territory to go about their normal business because all security services have been fully engaged to stop any entry into the FCT.
FG regrets security alerts issued by foreign embassies regarding Nigeria
The unconfirmed security alert that several embassies in the nation recently issued about Nigeria has been strongly condemned by the Federal Government.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, denounced the crime yesterday during a ministerial panel of the ongoing UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week in Abuja.
The minister also chastised Nigerian media outlets and social media influencers for disseminating security alerts without investigating their veracity and ramifications.
During the UNESCO panel discussion on “National Media and Information Literacy Frameworks, Sustaining Beyond Disinformation,” led by Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, Assistant Director-General of the Organization’s Communication and Information Sector, Mohammed participated.
Isa Pantami, a minister of communication and the digital economy in Nigeria, Good luck Opiah, a state minister for education, and Damian Collins, a minister of tech and the digital economy in the UK, all participated in the discussion electronically.
Mohammed stated during his presentation that the embassies’ warnings, which did not accurately reflect the country’s security condition, may lead to unnecessarily high levels of anxiety.
He also denounced the media outlets that exploited the unconfirmed security alert to drive traffic to their websites without taking the consequences for the nation into account.
“Some media organizations and social media influencers are frequently exposed for disseminating unsubstantiated information on their platforms only for clickbait and the ensuing financial gain.
Speaking of click bait, this may have contributed to the dissemination of the alleged security notice that certain foreign embassies in Nigeria recently issued.
If a security advisory of this like was ever sent, one may assume that it was intended to draw attention to Nigerian residents in the issuing nations.
“This alert suddenly spread across both traditional and new media, causing panic in the political system.
Businesses and schools were closed. Life was disturbed, travel plans were changed. Nobody was interested in learning the veracity of these signals.
He said, “They just published, profited greatly from click bait, and damned the consequences.
He reaffirmed his stance that, thanks to the efforts and sacrifices of the military, the nation “is safer today than at any time in recent years.”
The worst of Nigeria’s instability, according to the minister, has passed since the security forces were proactive.
Therefore, he advised Nigerians not to panic and to always be vigilant.
“We do not minimize the threat that terrorists, bandits, and others of their kind pose to the peace, security, and stability of our country.
“Well, I can assure everyone that our military and other security agencies have kept up their efforts to secure and defend both Nigerians and foreigners who live in Nigeria.
“Terrorists have taken a beating and are now fleeing. He declared, “Bandits have been destroyed and dispersed.
Disinformation is “a purposeful effort to propagate deception with serious effects on national peace, security, and stability,” according to the minister, who was speaking on the session’s theme.
According to him, disinformation poses a clear threat to the peace and stability of both the country and the world since it erodes public confidence in the government.
The minister declared that everyone must work together to combat the epidemic of deception, which was endangering human survival.
Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, and Mr. Goodluck Opiah, the minister of state for education, served as panelists in the discussion, which was hosted by Dr. Tawfik Jelassi, assistant director general for communication and information at UNESCO.
