A coalition of non-governmental organisations known as Coalition of Patriotic Non-Governmental Organisations has alleged that recent security alerts issued by the foreign missions in Abuja were a calculated attempt to destabilize the country.
The coalition expressed surprise behind the threat alerts, considering the fact that the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), had issued security advisories on plans by terrorists to target soft spots in parts of the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja at the weekend, the National Coordinator of Coalition for Peace in Nigeria (COPIN), Pharmacist Emeka Akwuobi, urged Nigerians to remain calm and rise above fear
He said, “Without prejudice to time-honoured social constructs, occasioned by persuasions, we hasten to state that the so-called security advisories by the US and UK governments, are distractive in form, and destabilizing in content.
“In what has become a recurring decimal, the US has continued to predict negative outcomes for Nigeria of which the most telling was the collapse – if you like, the failure of the Nigerian-State ahead of the 2015 general elections. More than seven years later, their prognosis has fallen flat on its feeble feet.
“Similarly, aligned interests in America predicted that Africa, Nigeria inclusive, will be littered with corpses at the outbreak of COVID-19, but history and medical records show that the outcome has been the opposite with dire consequences for America and her allies. For the avoidance of doubt, the US is preparing for elections, and is customary with the so-called ‘world police’, nations considered not to be in tune with her aggressive disposition, are often whipped into line.”
He also recalled that security agencies like the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Nigeria Immigration Service had all issued the same alerts in the past.
“It is heart-warming to note that our security services- the DSS, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps – have all issued security advisories of plans by terrorists targeting soft targets in the country.
“In April, the DSS warned Nigerians of planned attacks but has gone ahead to destabilize terror cells and their networks in Nigeria leading to arrests in Kogi, Kano, Lagos and in the South Eastern part of the country. If our security architecture has issued security alerts and has braced up in confronting our common enemy and winning, why should we now believe more a security advisory by Americans to their people?
“In the face of this reality, we urge our fellow citizens to see this as a time to rise above fear, and anxiety, in defence of our fatherland.”