Nigerian police on red alert over terrorists attack

[Muhsin]

www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-27 19:03:25         

    LAGOS, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian Police Force (NPF) high command will on Wednesday meet in Abuja, to map out counter-terrorism strategies, following strong rumors of terrorists attack in strategic parts of the country, the Nigerian Tribune newspaper reported Wednesday.

    The nation's security network had since last week, intercepted some alleged coded messages which they interpreted to have emanated from some terrorist groups.

    According to the source, such information contained coded messages which had been interpreted to show strong possibility of attacks on some major cities by the yet-to-be identified terrorist bodies.

    Although, the identity and sponsors of the claimed terrorist groups were still unknown, it was learnt that their major targets were homes of some high profile Nigerians, including past heads of government, serving and former governors, serving and former senators, ministers as well as some top company executives.

    Others are some classified and vulnerable public places like banks, oil and energy installations, blue chip companies, government secretariats and historical centers.

    Further information from the office of the National Security Adviser, indicated that the security agencies had deployed their surveillance networks and had succeeded in narrowing down the targeted cities to Port-Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano.

    It was learnt that the terrorist groups planned to hide under the guise of providing support to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which has been engaged in a battle by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in parts of the Niger Delta, for some weeks.

    But the security agencies were said to have analyzed the intercepted modus operandi of the terrorist groups and came to the conclusion that the claim to offering assistance to MEND was a mere hoax and diversionary.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mike Okiro, has convened an emergency meeting of all officers of the rank of Commissioners of Police (CP) and above, scheduled to hold at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    Although, the Force Headquarters would not allude to terrorist attacks for convening the meeting, the Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, told newsmen that the Police are well equipped to counter any terrorist attack at any time and in any part of the country.