Terrorism: FG Decries Security Alert On Nigeria By Foreign Embassies; Blames Media

By Gideon Njoku

The Federal Government has  disapproved, strongly, of what it called  the unverified security alert issued on Nigeria by a couple of  Embassies in the country.

Both the United States Embassy and the United Kingdom Mission in Abuja, had on Sunday issued a security alert on an imminent Terrorist attack on Nigeria, especially, in Abuja.

The US Embassy detailed some of the places prone to the would-be-attack. They included Government buildings, Facilities of Security Agencies, places of worship, markets, schools, transportation terminals and more.

On Wednesday, US Embassy followed it up by saying it was evacuating its non-essential Embassy Staff and their families as well as other US citizens in need of any assistance.

Since then, Canada and Australia have followed in raising the security alert.

But the Federal Government has frowned at the alert by the Foreign Embassies and blamed the Nigerian Media for publishing without verification from relevant agencies or authorities.

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister for  Information and  Culture, on Wednesday,  condemned the alert at a Ministerial Panel at  the UNESCO Media and Information Literacy Week in Abuja.

Mohamned, also, did not spare  the Nigerian media, traditional and social, for spreading the security alerts without verifying its authenticity. He also said the Media did not consider, or care about the consequences.

He was of the view that the alert issued by the Embassies was not the true position of the security situation in the country, and dismissed it as scare-mongering which could cause unnecessary tension and panic.

He also lashed out at the Media which he said fed on the unverified security alert. He said their latching on it without verification, was meant to attract traffic to their site, and accused them of not considering the effects on the country.

The Minister: “Some Media outlets and Social Media personalities are usually caught spreading unverified information on their platforms just for click bait and the attendant monetary gain.

“Talking of click bait, this may be what informed the spread of the supposed security alert issued recently by some foreign embassies in Nigeria.

“One would imagine that if indeed this kind of security alert was issued, it was for the attention of citizens of the issuing countries in Nigeria.

“Suddenly, this alert found its way into the Media, both new and traditional, thus creating panic in the polity.

“Schools were shut, businesses were closed. travel plans were altered, lives were disrupted. No one cared to find out about the authenticity of these alerts.

“They just published, got the benefit of massive click bait and damned the consequences.

“The country is safer today than at any time in recent times’, with the efforts and sacrifices of the military.

“We do not discountenance the fact that terrorists, bandits and their kind would always want to do whatever it takes to disrupt our nation’s peace, security and stability.

“Well, I can assure all that our military and other security agencies have continued to do everything possible to secure and protect Nigerians and foreigners living in Nigeria.

“Terrorists have been hard hit and put on the run. Bandits have been decimated and scattered.”

Speaking on the theme, Mohammed defined disinformation as “a deliberate act to spread falsehood with extreme consequences on national peace, security and stability.’’