The recent upsurge in terrorist attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has begun to affect economic activities, causing fear and trepidation among residents, who fear being attacked, killed or kidnapped from their homes.
It was reported that daredevil gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram insurgents, causing havoc in many parts of the country have been on a rampage in the nation’s capital.
Recall that on July 5, terrorists attacked the medium correctional centre (Kuje prison) in Abuja and killed at least one person while many others were injured.
During the attack, over 800 inmates including members of Boko Haram and the bloodthirsty Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents, being remanded in the facility were let loose.
There has been a series of killing and kidnapping incidents in many parts of the territory, particularly in Kwali and Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
Recall that bandits on Sunday night attacked a community in Kwali, near the Federal Government College, in Sheda village, on the ever-busy Abuja-Lokoja highway.
Sequel to the unfortunate development, parents on Monday morning stormed the Federal Government College (FGC) Kwali, to evacuate their children and wards as tension enveloped residents and management of the school.
Subsequently, the Federal Ministry of Education directed the closure of all Federal Government Colleges (FGCs) in Abuja in a bid to prevent attacks on students.
The Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Ben Goong, had said in a statement that the decision was to forestall any violent attack on innocent children following the rising insecurity and threats by the insurgents.
More worrisome was the attack on some officials of the 7 Guards Battalion of the Nigerian Army Presidential Guards Brigade on Friday when at least five soldiers were killed leaving several others injured.
The incident, which took place late Friday night around the Bwari Area Council of Abuja, left three soldiers wounded and eight personnel killed.
In another incident, two army captains and one soldier, died as heroes after battling insurgents around the Kubwa-Bwari Road, near Abuja, while on routine patrol on Sunday night.
It was observed that many residents no longer go about their daily activities for fear of being attacked by daredevil terrorists who are suspected to have infiltrated the city and are hibernating, waiting to attack.
Clubs and other nightlife activities are beginning to fold up owing to the lack of patronage as fear of more attacks envelops the territory.
A commercial driver with a cab-hailing agency who identified himself as Ademola KT said that some of his colleagues have stopped working at night following the deteriorating security crisis in the nation’s capital.
He said, “In this our job, we make more money at night but I can tell you now that it is one of the most dangerous things to do in Abuja these days. Aside from the news of terrorist attacks in many places, people are missing every day.
“There are things we see at night that we can’t tell. People are being killed and kidnapped on a daily basis but unfortunately, only a few we see in the media”.
It was reported that while some private business owners now shut down their businesses to arrive home before nightfall, civil servants still live with the fear of being whisked away by terrorists while returning home at night.
Intelligence reports have also emerged that Boko Haram, Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) and bandits are currently planning to attack some States in Nigeria, particularly, the FCT
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) raised the alarm in a memo issued to Commands across the country on Tuesday.
However, in a move to douse the tension, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Alkali Baba Usman, ordered an additional deployment of assets to strategic areas of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
In a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi the IGP stated that the force is “not leaving any stone unturned to fortify the Federal Capital Territory and its environs”.
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