Following the recent leaked intelligence report received by the Federal Government of an ongoing move by the international terrorist organisation, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to attack commercial flights, the government has deployed an Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mr Danjuma Muhammed to take over security affairs at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Police Command.
Danjuma’s appointment has brought to an end the administration of Mr Abdullah’s Ali, a commissioner, who prior to now was in charge of the airport police command.
The decision to deploy a superior officer to man the Lagos Airport has been attributed to the seriousness the government attached to the ISIS threat.
Confirming the development yesterday, the image maker for the airport police command, DSP Joseph Alabi, said the deployment of an AIG to take over the helms of affairs at the number one airport was aimed at improving safety and security of travelers and other airport users.
While describing Muhammad as an experienced officer who has served in many commands and formations before to his transfer to airport, Alabi declared: “The transfer of a very senior ranking officer to the airport command is very strategic and the objective is to ensure that nothing untoward occurs here. The AIG has since assumed duties and has warned officers attached to the command that he will not tolerate laziness, idleness and dereliction of duties.”
According to Alabi, the new airport police chief has read riot act to touts parading themselves within the airport environment warning that they would be prosecuted when caught.
Speaking on the threat by international terrorist group to unleash havoc on Nigeria, the AIG has assured travelers and other airport users that adequate measures has been put in place for their safety and security saying: “The command is working with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other sister security agencies to ensure that our airport is safe.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Defence, says it was currently perfecting strategies in collaboration with the defence ministries of 28 African states, to establish a counter-terrorism force.
The force is expected to tackle terrorist groups in the Saharan region, particularly the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria fighters, and Boko Haram.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué tagged ‘Abuja Declaration’, issued after a meeting convened by the defence ministers in Abuja from Wednesday to Friday, to seek regional cooperation, towards combating ISIS and other terrorist groups.
In the Abuja Declaration, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, last Saturday, the defence ministers said they were “strongly concerned by developments in Libya, Mali, Central African Republic, Somalia, the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, characterised by crises and terrorist groups’ activities.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, said the meeting would submit its recommendations to the Conference of Heads of State and Government for onward implementation, noting that it would not be talks alone as usual.
Part of the declaration reads, “The Ministers of Defence of member countries of the Community of Sahel-Saharan states meeting in Abuja are convinced that security in Sahel-Saharan area is a major concern. We are concerned by the regional upsurge and expansion of terrorist activities in parts of the Sahel-Saharan region.
“We have decided to intensify bilateral, multilateral and sub-regional security and military cooperation among member states.
“We have agreed on the following measures which we will submit to the Conference of Heads of State and Government; there will be a continuation of the fight against residual mercenaries and foreign combatants in the region.
“We agree on the call for the rapid opening of the Sahel Saharan Counter-Terrorism Centre with a view to accelerating cooperation in the various areas related to the fight against terrorism. We will support all regional initiatives in the fight against terrorism.
“We will also support the implementation of strategies for the resettlement and return of conflict displaced persons with particular emphasis on the socio-economic reconstruction of affected communities.”
The defence ministers also agreed that every country would implement national plans on counter terrorism and accompany them with “demobilisation, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.”
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, has said its findings revealed that the Al Barnawi faction of the Boko Haram terrorists pledged allegiance to the ISIS fighters in 2016 after Operation Lafiya Dole troops in the North-East dislodged them from the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
The acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. John Agim, said there was, however, no evidence from military intelligence that the ISIS group was sending its members to Nigeria to train Boko Haram terrorists.
Agim said the military would outwit all tactics by the terrorist group to have any foreign collaboration.
Similarly, the Nigeria Police, has, urged Nigerians to be vigilant, following the report of possible attack on the country by the ISIS terrorists.
The warning came on the heels of the assurance by the Minister of Interior, Major General Abdulraham Dambazzu, that the Federal Government was not treating a report on the matter with levity.
Similarly, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, had directed necessary agencies in charge of border security to be on alert.
In Bauchi, the state Police Command had directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to be on vigilant in order to forestall any security breach.
The directive, according to the PPRO, DSP Kamal Datti Abubakar, was at the instance of the Commissioner of the state Police Command, Sanusi Lemu, following threats by ISIS, and consequent security alert issued by the Federal Government across the country.
“To this effect, both uniform and plain cloth Policemen were deployed to strategic locations to monitor the situation,” the spokesman said.
He added that “the command is working with sister security agencies and other stakeholders in the state to ensure that the relative peace being enjoy in the state is sustained.”
The Command called on residents public to cooperate with the police and report any suspicious person on to the Police station.
On its part, the state government disclosed that it was collaborating with the security agencies to ensure protection of lives and properties of residents of the state.
A government official, who craved anonymity, said that since the report was received following the arrests made in the state, government has not relented in ensuring that all criminals were promptly handed over to the security agencies.
He appealed to residents to volunteer useful information to security agencies assuring that such would be treated with urgency and importance.
The official assured that the government was fully committed to ensuring that the state remained peaceful and crime-free, particularly as political activities hot up towards the 2019 general election.