Following intelligence reports that some members of the Boko Haram sect are planning to cause mayhem in Abuja as Nigeria celebrates her 54th independence anniversary today, soldiers from the Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, have taken over the entire security of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
A source was quoted by Daily Sun as revealing that the mounting of several check-points by soldiers on the entire entry and exit points into Abuja, and the creation of new check-points was staged after reports of criminals and the terrorists group using alternative routes to get into Abuja, reached the security agencies.
A walk round some parts of the FCT by DailyPost shows that soldiers have actually mounted check-points in some strategic areas within the city to monitor strange movements of vehicles and persons in the city.
It was learnt that the Guards Brigade has mounted security scanning cameras in some strategic and vulnerable points in the FCT to scan and detect explosives planted on vehicles, passengers and luggages coming into Abuja.
Informed security personnel spoke of how soldiers at the various security check-points have arrested a good number of Boko Haram members and other criminals trying to relocate to the city, as military intelligence personnel have been deployed in all the notorious spots in the FCT, to monitor criminals.
Vulnerable points within the FCT that were discovered to be heavily guarded include: Dei-Dei, Karmo, Gwagwa, Suleja, Zuba, Gwagwalada, Dutse-Alhaji, Mpape, Apo, Massaka, Nyanya, Kugbo, Mararaba, Gudu.
It was also gathered that the Guards Brigade has put in stiffer security measures on the movements and use of dynamites in the FCT, after intelligence reports indicated that some construction workers in Abuja, have a way of getting the dynamites to the terrorists and other criminals.
Daily Sun reports that the security source revealed that even though the celebrations will be low-key, and take place at the Presidential Villa, where soldiers from the brigade are expected to parade, the brigade would not allow terrorists and hoodlums take advantage of the celebrations to carry out their dastardly act.
The security official stated that while the military and security agencies have been able to reduce the number of bomb blasts that used to be the other of the day by Boko Haram, it has put in place stiffer measures for construction companies that use dynamites to do their jobs and monitor the movements and usage of such explosives.
According the source who does not want to be mentioned, unlike in the past when construction companies were allowed to build their armouries to store these explosives, the situation has changed as all explosives are now being stored by the military, police and security agencies.
The source said construction companies that would like to use the explosives must apply to the security agencies to get them and also indicate the dates they intend to use them and if by any reason they were not able to use them on the agreed dates, they must return them to the security agencies.
According to the source, no blast takes place in Abuja for now, without the knowledge of the Guards Brigade and the security agencies, and must be announced on public radio stations to inform the residents. He added that a Chinese construction firm which tried to flout the order and carried out a blast along the Airport Road, was instantly shut down by the Guards Brigade.
On the security scanning cameras mounted on some major entry points into Abuja which has the ability of detecting an explosive-laden vehicle from a distance, the source said it was to reduce the physical stress of soldiers having to search vehicles and passengers.
As it is now, “all the soldiers do is to make such vehicles spotted by the device to drive through a special route created for that purpose for proper scanning before they allow them to go, that is if what they are carrying do not pose any threat to the security of Abuja, and its environs,” the official was quoted as saying.
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