Again, Terrorists strike in Abuja, attack military checkpoint
By Dayo Badmus,
Terrorists have reportedly struck near Nigeria’s Federal capital of Abuja on Thursday night.
This is coming few hours after President Buhari met security chiefs over worsening security.
An unconfirmed number of soldiers were killed by the terrorists at a military checkpoint around Zuma Rock in Niger State.
The attack which happened at about 7pm occurred close to Madalla town, a few meters away from Zuba, Gwagwalada LGA, along the Abuja-Kaduna high way.
According to reports, the terrorists opened fire on the soldiers.
“They took control of the area for about 30 minutes and kept on shooting before heading towards Kaduna axis of the expressway,” the source said.
About 20 minutes after the terrorists left, soldiers from Zuma Barracks rushed to the scene and took full control.
A patrol team of policemen also arrived at the place.
The attack came amid heightened tension in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over likely terrorist attacks.
Since the invasion of Kuje Prison in the nation’s capital on July 5, there have been security concerns among residents of Abuja.
On Sunday, soldiers attached to the Presidential Guards Brigade were killed in an ambush laid by terrorists.
Twenty-four hours after the incident, the management of Federal Government College, Kwali, asked parents to evacuate their children from the school following an attack by bandits in a neighbouring community.
The FCTA authorities and the Ministry of Education also ordered schools shut.
President Muhammadu Buhari expressed serious concern on Thursday over the current security challenges facing some parts of the country and will stop at nothing to change the tide.
The National Security Adviser to the President, retired Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno, said the president made his feelings known when he summoned emergency meeting of the National Security Council in Abuja.
According to him, the meeting deliberated on recent security challenges bedeviling the country and made resolutions to review existing strategies in fighting the scourge.
‘`Today’s meeting was convened by the President as a continuation of the meeting that took place last week to discuss the technical issues and the taskings that were given to the various security agencies.
“The meeting deliberated on all those issues, after the brief by the National Security Adviser, which is usually the procedure.
“Again, Council deems it necessary to inform the general public, that fighting this type of asymmetric conflict is a collective effort. It’s not something that should be confined to only the security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
“When we keep saying whole of society approach, whole of government approach, to get a whole of national approach, what it means is that everybody has to partake in this enterprise.’’
(PM News)
