Service chiefs move to stem riots in 4 states, FCT
*Kaduna, Borno, Bauchi and Sokoto targetted for attacks
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, and the Service Chiefs, yesterday, held a marathon meeting that lasted nine hours in Abuja following strong intelligence reports of plans by some groups to use the killing of Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, to vent their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2011 presidential elections and cause crisis in the country.
Present at the meeting which began at 9.30 am at the Naval headquarters, and continued until 5pm, were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Babagana Mongunu; Director of Military Intelligence, Major General SY Audu; Director of Naval Intelligence, Commodore Oyediran; and Director of Air Intelligence, Air Commodore Truman.
It was gathered that before the commencement of the security meeting, intelligence reports had shown that states like Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Bauchi and Sokoto as well as the Federal Capital Territory, were targets of the attacks that were expected to take place before, during or after the Moslem prayers on Friday, May 6, 2011 from the mosques and on Sunday May 8, 2011 from the churches.
Sources said the calculation of those behind the plot was that after the mosque prayers of Friday, attacks would be launched on unsuspecting citizens and destruction of property would go on simultaneously in a manner that would show that Moslems are unhappy with bin Laden’s death in the hands of a predominantly Christian nation.
On Sunday May 8, it was gathered that the group would shift attention to the churches, particularly in the North and attack Christians in churches to give the impression of a holy reprisal. The goal, it was learnt, is to provoke counter attacks from Christians from other parts of the country and eventually cause chaos in the polity.
We also learnt that the security meeting has, therefore, ordered a round the clock monitoring and vigilance by general officers commanding, corps commanders, brigade commanders and battalion commanders and their equivalents across the country to ensure that these plots do not see the light of the day.
A security source who confirmed the development to Vanguard in Abuja said: “Yes, what they could not do during the election, since we took pro-active measures, they want to hide under the canopy of the killing of bin Laden to achieve.
But we are on top of the situation. Security agencies are on the ground this time around.”
By KINGSLEY OMONOBI
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, and the Service Chiefs, yesterday, held a marathon meeting that lasted nine hours in Abuja following strong intelligence reports of plans by some groups to use the killing of Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, to vent their dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2011 presidential elections and cause crisis in the country.
Present at the meeting which began at 9.30 am at the Naval headquarters, and continued until 5pm, were the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ola Saad Ibrahim; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Mohammed Dikko Umar; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General Babagana Mongunu; Director of Military Intelligence, Major General SY Audu; Director of Naval Intelligence, Commodore Oyediran; and Director of Air Intelligence, Air Commodore Truman.
It was gathered that before the commencement of the security meeting, intelligence reports had shown that states like Kaduna, Kano, Borno, Bauchi and Sokoto as well as the Federal Capital Territory, were targets of the attacks that were expected to take place before, during or after the Moslem prayers on Friday, May 6, 2011 from the mosques and on Sunday May 8, 2011 from the churches.
Rioters is some northern states during the post election violence.
Sources said the calculation of those behind the plot was that after the mosque prayers of Friday, attacks would be launched on unsuspecting citizens and destruction of property would go on simultaneously in a manner that would show that Moslems are unhappy with bin Laden’s death in the hands of a predominantly Christian nation.
On Sunday May 8, it was gathered that the group would shift attention to the churches, particularly in the North and attack Christians in churches to give the impression of a holy reprisal. The goal, it was learnt, is to provoke counter attacks from Christians from other parts of the country and eventually cause chaos in the polity.
We also learnt that the security meeting has, therefore, ordered a round the clock monitoring and vigilance by general officers commanding, corps commanders, brigade commanders and battalion commanders and their equivalents across the country to ensure that these plots do not see the light of the day.
A security source who confirmed the development to Vanguard in Abuja said: “Yes, what they could not do during the election, since we took pro-active measures, they want to hide under the canopy of the killing of bin Laden to achieve.
But we are on top of the situation. Security agencies are on the ground this time around.”
By KINGSLEY OMONOBI
No comments:
Post a Comment