Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
A security group, Citizens Initiative for Security Awareness (CISA) has urged various security agencies to do more concerning the recent security report on plans to attack the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to protect the territory.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, CISA also warned against politicizing the killing of the Benue state most wanted man, Terwase Akwaza aka “Gana, by the military.
The National Coordinator of the security outfit, Chidi Omeje, emphasised that as far as the group is concerned, a deadly killer like Gana does not deserve too much pity.
While admitting that the FCT is not as secured as everybody would want, the security outfit noted: “Yes we all read the report that bandits and robbers are planning to attack the FCT. We want to believe that those whose responsibility it is to handle it are still working round the clock.
“Intelligence report is a covert operation but some of the information about threat to attack Abuja they pass around is not actionable. If the attack didn’t happen as anticipated, it then means that somebody must have been working behind the scene to prevent it.
“Yes, the FCT is not as safe as you and I would have wanted, but the incidence of terrorist attacks of previous magnitude has not happened. We appeal that our security forces will keep the bandits and terrorist attacks in check to make the FCT save,” he noted.
Reacting to the killing of Gana, the group said: “As far as CISA is concerned, Gana’s death means that one terrorist is down, one gang leader is down, one vicious killer is down, one heartless killer is down. But, it is not in the interest of the country politicizing Gana’s death.
“Why did we not ask Americans why they did not grant amnesty or justice to Osama Bin Laden by taking him to court. Gana is a vicious terrorist. I care about the family he left behind, the souls he wasted, the children his actions have orphaned but my concern is that he will no longer kill because he has been killed,” he quipped.
The security group also harped on the civilian military relationship, commending the recent successful air component of Operation Hadarin Daji military operation ongoing in the north west that decimated yet another armed bandits’ camp in the Doumborou forest area in Zamfara State.
“We are sharing this report because there are two very significant things in the story that are germane to the successful battle against terrorism, banditry and other violent crimes in our country. One is the fact that our ground troops and air power have found an almost perfect synergy which has continued to yield positive results.
“We are indeed proud of this development and we felicitate with our gallant troops operating on the ground and in the air for their accomplishments. We are confident that their gallantry, their resilience, their commitment to duty, their sense of purpose and their determination to succeed, will ultimately give them victory over the forces of darkness.
“The second and even more important is the role played by human intelligence reports in the successful execution of the operation. CISA gathered that the human intelligence reports that led to this successful operation were processed from the information given to the troops by patriotic citizens in that locality.
“This news has once again brought to mind CISA’s constant appeal to Nigerians that all of us have one patriotic role or the other to play in the fight against terrorism and banditry in our country. For us in CISA, the battle against the enemies of our country is not the battle for our soldiers alone.
“All of us men and women of goodwill have a role to play in the defence of our dear country from the machinations of the adversaries. Passing useful information to our fighting forces that will help them take out the enemies is a noble and patriotic thing to do. In so doing, you would have contributed your own quota in the war against those who are intent on destroying our country.
“On the other hand, willful concealing of information that otherwise would have helped our security forces in their battle is not only unpatriotic but a clear sabotage and crime against our country.,” he said.
