The government of Nigeria has on different occasions dismissed the recent security alerts from the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (UK) missions in Nigeria.
The missions of the countries in Nigeria issued separate security advisories warning that terrorists may attack Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
This led to widespread panic amongst the citizenry.
Government response
The country’s Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, criticised the alerts, saying they would have negative impacts on Nigeria’s struggling economy.
And for his part, the National Security Advisor (NSA), Major-General Babagana Monguno (rtd.), discarded the security concerns, saying citizens are in no danger.
As for Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Major Gen. Basir Magashi (retd), he said the country craved for prayers from the U.S. government than issuance of security alerts.
Implications of statements
By calling for calm, it appears the government is downplaying the alerts.
It is understandable that no country would want to allow another country or foreign entities to define its national security situation, but terror alerts should not be taken lightly.
There ought to be a serious concern also because the latest Global Terrorist Index ranks Nigeria as the sixth most terrorised country in the world, and Abuja has always been a target for terrorist attacks.
It should be noted that terrorism is one of the world’s greatest security challenges, and trying to predict it is an important part of the effort to counter-terrorism.
Around the world, intelligence and security agencies, once in a while, issue warnings about the likelihood of terrorist attacks in certain places.
But irrespective of how controversial or disputable a terror alert may seem to be, the best thing to do is to take proper precautions.
What should be done?
The Nigerian government and citizens should take the alert seriously; it should be seen as strategic intelligence that must be carefully processed and acted on to avert danger.
Nigeria’s intelligence systems and institutions seem to be struggling with operational challenges and complex national security threats.
It is, therefore, necessary that the nation’s intelligence community works closely with relevant foreign and local stakeholders to set up a collaborative intelligence regime that can address terrorist threats more robustly and proactively.
Constitutionally, government has the responsibility of providing for the security and well-being of the citizens, but the people have a role to play.
On their part, citizens need to take personal precautions to reduce their exposure to terrorist attacks.
Photo source: Reuters
