Insecurity: Abuja On Red Alert

By Gideon Njoku

Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, was literally locked down on Wednesday, November 3, 2021. It is likely to continue for some more days, a source which pleaded anonymity told this magazine.

On the receiving end were motorists. Workers and just everybody were the worst hit. They were stuck for hours.

The reason is simple: Insecurity which forced the Nigerian Army to take over all entrances and exits into, and from Abuja. The fierce looking and well armed soldiers drawn mainly from the Brigade of Guards, according to reports, brooked no nonsense as they politely, but firmly, subjected many motorists and individuals to a thorough search. In the process, some arrests of suspicious individuals were made.

Their action stemmed from an alleged security report that a combination of Boko Haram insurgents and Bandits had concluded plans to storm the FCT, especially, through the Keffi-Abuja high way. This raised a red flag, and the Army took immediate action to forestall any such incident.

If they were in doubt of the vulnerability of Abuja, the unprecedented invasions of the senior staff quarters of the University of Abuja confirmed it.

At about 12.30am Tuesday, Bandits, numbering about 50, invaded the University, and after over two hours of siege, abducted two Professors and some members of their families.

Reports say their abductors have made contacts demanding a whopping sum of N300m. Earlier, there were reports that they had been released, but the University Management put a lie to the claim, and said it does not have information to that effect.

Also, the Vice Principal of a Secondary School in Abuja was kidnapped. And on Wednesday, at about 11.00am, two gunmen, again, invaded the permanent site of the University of Abuja and made to kidnap a lecturer, Dr David Okoroafor, from his office. It was foiled when he confronted them and raised an alarm which attracted students who gave the gunmen a chase. They escaped, but forgot the key to the vehicle they came in.

On Wednesday morning, at about 2.00am, it was the turn of the staff of the Nigerian Meteorlogical Agency, NiMet, Abuja. The staff quarters was invaded, and nine members of staff, abducted.

Confirming the incident, NiMet’s General Manager, Public Relations, Muntari Ibrahim, told newsmen that the Agency was working to secure the release of the abducted staff.

Given the situation, there is tension in Abuja, and the residents may have to endure the presence of soldiers along the roads for sometime, a worried source told this magazine.