*As Police deploys 17,374 men for Ekiti election
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Federal Government has expressed concern about the violent attack in Owo, Ondo State, revealing that they have been able to “locate the perpetrators of that horrendous attack” and from all indications, “we are zeroing in on ISWAP – the Islamic State for West Africa Province.”
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this while briefing the State House Correspondents alongside the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba after the National Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the minister, “It is not an ethno-religious thing, the animals in ISWAP wanting attention, recognition, is suspected to have to launch that attack. We have directed all the agencies concerned to go after them and bring them to justice.
“The National Security Council has just risen from its meeting today, which reviewed, very critically, all aspects of security situation in the country and came up with conclusions, commending the efforts of the military and other security agencies in mitigating the insurgency, particularly in the Northeast, where the fundamentalists there have been weakened, degraded and equally in the Northwest, where the bandits are equally weakened, and the North central, where we’re engaged with pockets of bandits.
“We are equally concerned about the spate of attacks in the name of blasphemy. The police have been directed to mobilize, identify and preempt all those involved in the blasphemy attacks in two areas of the country, namely Sokoto and Abuja, of recent. ”
Meanwhile, the IGP announced that they have deployed 17,374 policemen to secure a peaceful election in Ekiti.
The police boss said the assurance was that “we are committed to maintaining law and order and providing adequate security for Nigerian citizens.”
Appropriate preparation is put in place for the elections coming up in Ekiti, this month, and Osun, next month, principally by Nigeria Police and supported by other security agencies, and to some extent, the military.
The President, according to him, wants them to assure Nigerians that his administration is committed to providing adequate security and ensuring the maintenance of law and order, so that Nigerians will be able to go about their businesses, particularly farmers, who will want to go to their farms without any fear of attack or molestation.
The meeting was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Boss Mustapha; the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd).
Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Farouk Yahaya; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao are also in attendance.
Also in attendance are the Inspector-General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman; the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
