BOKO HARAM:Governor scared beef up security

Fearing that they may become
the next target of terrorist
attacks following the bomb
explosion that rocked the United
Nations office in Abuja,
governors have ordered that
security around them and
members of their families be
doubled to forestall attacks.
Apart from increasing the
personal security of the
governors, SUNDAY PUNCH
gathered that security agencies
in all the states have been
instructed to provide water tight
security at government houses
and state secretariats
This current apprehension came
after the Boko Haram sect
claimed responsibility for the UN
attack, which has generated
international condemnation with
foreign investigators joining the
hunt for the perpetrators.
The destructive activities of the
sect have hitherto been
restricted to Borno State, their
base, Bauchi State and the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The recent attack on the UN
building shows that members of
the sect have the capacity to
extend to other states of the
federation.
Reports from various states have
it that diverse security measures
have been introduced at the
governors’ offices and homes to
prevent possible bomb attacks.
Some of the measures employed
include an increase in the
number of security operatives,
thorough checks at the gates to
the government house, and
relocation of parking lots.
Unlike before, visitors to some of
the government houses are now
thoroughly quizzed to ascertain
their mission before they are
allowed in, while vehicles are
screened with bomb detectors.
LAGOS
Security agencies in the state
have further restricted access to
the Lagos Governor, Mr.
Babatunde Fashola, as part of the
state’s response to the bombing
of the UN office in Abuja last
week.
Our correspondent learnt that
part of the measure to keep
Fashola, safe, is preventing
unknown visitors from having
access to the Lagos House,
where the governor’s office is
located. Usually all visitors to
Lagos house are allowed to park
at the visitors’ car park without
discrimination.
But a member of the governor’s
security team said that
henceforth, only government
workers at the governor’s office
and known visitors like relevant
political and business figures in
the state would be allowed to
park at the visitors’ car park.
It was also gathered that only the
personal staff of the governor
would be able to drive their
vehicles into the governor’s
office premises.
Another worker at the
governor’s office told our
correspondent that there were
plans in the office to limit the
social and political functions that
the governor would be
attending.
ILORIN
The Chief Press Secretary to the
Kwara State Governor,
Abdulwahab Oba, said the state
government had taken adequate
security measures to protect the
governor.
In a telephone interview with
our correspondent in Ilorin, Oba
said there were security checks
before entering the Government
House and the Governor’s Office
but that those checks were
‘normal security checks.’
Oba stated that there was an
increase in the number of
security operatives in the state
and the government was
discussing with security agencies
on how to avoid any security
breach.
He however said other security
measures to protect Ahmed and
the entire citizens were not open
for public disclosure, because
that would jeopardise security
measures.
KADUNA
In Kaduna, heavily armed soldiers
have been deployed to guard the
Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government
House located within the vicinity
of one of the flashpoints in the
state capital, Tundun Wada, also
noted for housing Islamic
religious extremists.
The soldiers, who are the first set
of security operatives any visitor
to the Kaduna Government House
encounters on approaching the
gate to the sprawling edifice,
were deployed since the upscale
in the activities of the notorious
Boko Haram Islamic sect to
complement other security
operatives manning the short
drive to the seat of government
in the state.
Immediately visitors scale
through the thorough screening
by the soldiers, they face another
checkpoint mounted by a
combined team of heavily armed
anti-riot policemen and
operatives of the state anti-crime
security outfit, the Operation
Yaki. Here the visitor’s vehicle is
thoroughly screened with metal
detectors and anti-bomb devices.
The interior and the boot of his
car are also screened and
searched before being allowed
to proceed.
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