Following a series of security breaches and a direct hit at a military facility yesterday, the Federal Government ordered the closure of Federal Government College, Kwali, and ordered the beefing up of security in unity colleges.
In ricochet, panic has gripped residents of Abuja in general, as terrorists made good their preliminary aspects of their threat to strike upscale targets, including hitting the President and other personalities in the city and elsewhere.
The terrorist attack came in the aftermath of an earlier report of a security breach in Sheda and Lambata villages, suburbs of Kwali Area Council, which also threatened the FGC, Kwali.
Though the security breaches in the satellite villages were contained by the timely intervention of security operatives, mayhem was let loose as gunmen ambushed troops of the Guards’ Brigade in mainland Abuja, wounding three soldiers in the process.
•FG orders closure of FGC Kwali, beefs up security in unity colleges
The Federal Government responded to the FGC, Kwali incident with the closure of the unity college and others by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
The minister gave a directive yesterday in Abuja, in a statement made available to newsmen by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Ben Goong.
Adamu said the closure became necessary following a security breach on Sheda and Lambata villages, suburbs of Kwali Area Council, which also threatened FGC Kwali.
He said the timely intervention of security agencies was able to save the situation.
Adamu also directed that arrangements should be made for final year students to conclude their National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations.
The minister had also directed principals of unity colleges across the country to liaise with security agencies within their jurisdictions to forestall any security breach in the schools.
•Three soldiers injured as bandits attack presidential guards
It was a different story at the Guards’ Brigade at mainland Abuja.
Reports say that the troops attacked at the Guards’ Brigade were on routine patrol along Kubwa-Bwari road when they were ambushed yesterday.
Earlier, it was gathered that there had been intelligence reports that some invading terrorists had laid the siege on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with the intent to attack the Law School in Bwari and other government facilities.
A highly-placed source in the military said the attack was a confirmation of the terrorists’ siege on the city, but the authorities said they were on the trail of the assailants.
The source further noted that troops of the Seven Guards Battalion on routine patrol along Kubwa-Bwari Road were ambushed by suspected terrorists.
He added that three soldiers were injured during the attack, and had been evacuated to the hospital for medical attention.
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“The ambushed attack happening within the general area of Bwari shows that the terrorists are actually within the location, and possibly to carry out their plans of attacking the law school in Bwari, as earlier reported,” the source added.
When contacted, the Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Guards Brigade, Captain Godfrey Abakpa, confirmed that the soldiers were attacked, but repelled successfully.
He added that the wounded soldiers had been evacuated to medical facilities, and were receiving treatment.
“They were attacked and the attack was successfully repelled. We had a few wounded in action who have been taken to the hospital and received treatments.
“At the moment, our troops are still combing the general area to get rid of the criminals that have been threatening the general area. It is advised that residents go about their lawful businesses and keep cooperating with us by giving us timely information to enable us to win the fight against the criminals,” he said.
Recall that terrorists, in a trending video, had boasted that they were coming to abduct the President and other VIPs, including Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, amongst others.
Also, there were reports in the media that the terrorists had taken over Karishi Mountain a satellite town of the Federal Capital Territory.
A military source, who did not want his name in print, said that the terrorists were closer to FCT than envisaged by residents and the security agencies if the story of the Karishi Mountain is something to go by.
•Families of train attack enact security drama
Meanwhile, a mild drama played out yesterday when families of the train attack victims blocked the entrance of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, preventing staff from accessing the office complex.
The protesters, who were at the entrance of the ministry as early as 7:00 am, lamented the prolonged silence of the government, despite their outcry.
The renewed protest, it was gathered, was sparked by a viral video where the victims were being flogged while the women and children were watching and crying.
The families lamented the demand for N100m ransom by the bandits.
One of the family members told the permanent secretary that they got a voice note from the bandits demanding N100m to be paid for the release of their loved ones.
They demanded to know why the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari, “who is considered to be the mother of the nation has not commented on the unfortunate incident since it happened.”
They also condemned her for the prolonged silence on the matter, saying when the Chibok girls were kidnapped in Borno State, the former first lady came out and cried for the release of the girls.
A relative, identified simply as Hajiya Hadiza, said “what is the First Lady doing? Is she not a mother, or even grandmother, and she has not come out to speak on this matter, but rather, is there canvassing for women to come out to contest?”
But responding, the permanent secretary, Magdalene Ajani, initially said she felt their pain because her sister was also kidnapped in the ill-fated train. But she was, however, countered by the victims’ family that the sister had been released.
She, however, pointed out that the ministry was in constant talks with the security agents and the negotiators had been busy in the past three weeks.
The permanent secretary, however, doused the tension of the families when she refuted claims that female victims were sexually assaulted, saying following interaction with people that were released, no such cases were reported.
She urged the trained victims’ families to channel their demands to the security agencies who are in the right position to give them the information they need.
Speaking to the Minister on the reason why they came to the ministry, another concerned sympathiser, Jibril Mohammed, said, “We have come to lay siege at the ministry’s entrance. We are here basically, to remind the government that they have failed our loved ones that fell into the hands of armed terrorists. They have been traumatised, beaten, not well kept, and are suffering from things we can’t imagine.”
The Minister, Sambo Mua’zu, in his response, said he is just resuming office and is yet to get a briefing on the matter.
He said before he resumed, he asked the permanent secretary to dialogue with the families.
“But I want to beg you for one thing. I have just resumed, and I’m going to receive the necessary briefings this morning.
“I want you to give me some time. In the meantime, I want contact names and addresses, with telephone numbers that I can reach you. I can assure you that we’re going to be in constant engagement until this matter is sorted out until every single person in captivity goes back home to his family members,” he said.
•Terrorists release three more captives
In another development, reports yesterday said terrorists released three more kidnapped train passengers yesterday.
That came barely 24 hours after a video was released showing how the remaining kidnapped train passengers were being flogged and dehumanised by the terrorists.
According to a BBC Hausa Service report, a relative of one of the kidnapped victims said those released included two men and a lady.
While disclosing the news to the BBC, the relative said the released victims were on the way to a health facility for medical examination.
As of the time of this report, there was no detailed explanation of the condition met before the additional three victims were released.