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| Coordinator, National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, |
THE Federal Government on Thursday raised
the alarm that Boko Haram insurgents were planning to attack political
rallies, worship centres and markets with camels, goats and donkeys
laden with explosives.
The government said intelligence reports
indicated that the insurgents were also planning to use young men
disguised as cobblers to attack Automated Teller Machines, restaurants
and other places.
Coordinator of the National Information
Centre on the war against terrorism, Mr. Mike Omeri, at a press briefing
in Abuja on Thursday, said security agencies and related organisations
had been alerted to take necessary steps to forestall such attacks.
He said, “Available intelligence reports
indicate a plan by Boko Haram to use young male suicide bombers
disguised as cobblers to hide explosives in their tool boxes and
detonate them in soft target areas such as markets, restaurants, ATM
locations, political rallies, worship centres, as well as other public
places.
“Also, there is indication of a plan by
this group to use livestock such as goats, cows, donkeys and camels
laden with explosives to attack chosen targets. In view of these, the
general public, including all persons within and around the
aforementioned places, is advised to be vigilant and mindful of
suspicious activities within their environment.”
Omeri, who is also Director-General of
the National Orientation Agency, said that several persons released by
Boko Haram in Yobe State were being counselled by professionals from the
military, police, Red Cross and the National Emergency Management
Agency.
He said, “The centre wishes to confirm
that the persons recently released by Boko Haram are presently in the
custody of military authorities. Authoritatively, we can say that these
persons are currently undergoing counselling after which they will
return home to re-join their kith and kin.
“Most recently it has been discovered
that some IDP camps have been infiltrated by agents of the insurgent
group and has been giving false and inaccurate reports about the
situation in the camps. Unfortunately, these reports have been adopted
as true situation by international organisations and media.”
He warned genuine livestock farmers to
refrain from taking animals to the city centres as security agents were
bound to stop them.
Answering questions from journalists,
Omeri said Nigeria had the human capacity to tackle the menace of Boko
Haram and that any nation that wished to assist the country should
channel the help to the procurement of weapons.
He also said that officials of the
Nigerian Red Cross and top government functionaries were in the Diffa
region of Niger Republic to supervise the distribution of 540 metric
tonnes of food items, which he said were distributed to 100,000
Nigerians camped in various places.
Omeri added that about 1,000 persons in
the camps were citizens of Niger Republic, who had been with the
displaced Nigerians most of their lives.
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