It also disclosed that anyone participating in the recruitment might have been previously recommended by traditional rulers, Imams, local community or religious leaders known to them, and subjected to further scrutiny by other professionals in fields that can determine people’s mindset to ascertain the totality of such applicants.
Director, Army Information, Olajide Olaleye, who confirmed this to Sunday Independent, said the exercise, aimed at adding to the current 150,000 men and officers of the Army, would be holistic, to ensure that people with questionable characters and likely members of Boko Haram are not recruited.
He said: “The local Imams, local community and religious leaders and the local government must recommend such a person and we are also involving psychologists, in attempt to assure that the Army is not infiltrated by terrorists and their allies”.
Olaleye’s disclosure may not have been convincing enough to Nigerians, as there are fears that some members of the deadly terrorist group may have actually infiltrated the crowd of those recruited into the Army.
The fears expressed by security experts are hinged on the questionable character of some desperate Nigerian politicians, which they said could undermine strategies aimed at curbing insurgency in the country.
Security consultant, Ben Okezie, who fears that the process could be hijacked by politicians, said, “Whenever there is recruitment, politicians will bring a long list of thugs and those they want to use during elections.
“Is this not what happened in the Niger Delta during the Amnesty programme?” he asked.
Okezie therefore, appealed that a special task force, made up of serving and retired security personnel, who are indigenes of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, be constituted to provide intelligence on Boko Haram, since they are conversant with their states of origin and terrains.
The recent arrest of a Boko Haram implant in the civilian JTF in Borno has also raised apprehension that the sect may be positioning some of its members to participate in the recruitment and actually getting them recruited.
Meanwhile, in South East Nigeria, indigenes are not leaving anything to chance in terms of security.
Churches Imo State, which are now believed to be the prime targets for bombing, especially the Pentecostal ones, have since procured equipments to detect explosive substances, which are being operated by local private security outfits.
This is even as worshippers are now subjected to rigorous search before being allowed into the church on Sundays. Motorists are also prohibited from parking their vehicles adjacent church premises.
With eagle eyes on all public institutions by security agents, carrying of bags at public functions has somewhat become an anathema for fear of possible explosion.
At the imposing state secretariat located on Port Harcourt road, Owerri, civil servants who own vehicles had been issued with identity cards for easy and unlimited entry into the secretariat, while strange faces and visitors have been banned from driving in.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which is adjacent to the secretariat complex, has similarly beefed up security within its premises, while the hospitality industry under the aegis of Hoteliers/Proprietors Association, now screen their guests thoroughly before offering them accommodation.
Heads of primary and post primary schools have equally not been left out in the mission of building impregnable security networks in their schools. Parents and guardians now bear official identity cards issued by the schools management as a prelude to collecting their children and wards after school daily.
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium in Ikeja, capital of Lagos State, on Saturday as rumuors that bomb was planted around Medical Road area of Ikeja filtered in the city.
When Sunday Independent visited the Medical Road area, an unprecedented crowd gathered at Ikeja bus stop under the bridge, while another crowd also gathered in from of Area ‘F’ Police Command, Ikeja, while so many were hurrying out of the area.
As at the time of filling this report, it was not established whether bomb was actually planted anywhere in Ikeja or a mere rumor. Effort to reach the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, on phone for comments proved abortive, as several calls put across to her were not picked.
However, authorities of the Nigeria Police Force has warned that it has gathered intelligence reports, which indicated that terrorists had perfected plots to carry out attacks on the Abuja transport sector.
The attacks, according to the police, were intended to cause panic among Abuja residents and visitors alike.
A statement by the Force Spokesman, Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, noted that “the attacks are planned to be perpetrated through suicide bombings, or through the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) concealed in luggage, bags, cans, and other receptacles.
“The Police High Command, therefore, while ordering FCT Commissioner of Police in particular and other CPs in adjoining states, to beef-up security at major parks around Abuja and its environs, enjoins the general public, particularly those within and outside the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to be roundly vigilant and report any suspicious persons, objects, movements or activities to the Security Forces without delay.”
The Police authorities have however, enjoined citizens not to panic as the security forces are working round the clock to neutralise and effectively deal with the threat.
As part of additional efforts at forestalling the attacks and strengthening security around the transport sector, the Police High Command has advised the management of motor parks to ensure that travellers and workers’ safety were given priority.
“It charges them to constantly conduct regular and routine scanning of their environments, while insisting on carrying out a thorough search on passengers and their bags as well as vehicles entering and leaving their parks.
It also advised that such searches must have the active participation of the passengers involved and warned that any item or luggage unaccompanied by any passenger must be rejected out rightly and should not be allowed into the vehicle.
The police also enjoined passengers to be on the look-out for any passenger, who might come in with luggage, but will attempt to disembark without such luggage.
While operators of motor parks are strongly advised to discourage overnight parking of vehicles at motor parks, particularly by unknown persons, the Police authorities further advised motor park workers to reduce congestion at the parks by disallowing the indiscriminate parking of private cars, tricycles and motorcycles at the precincts of motor parks.
The Police High Command further advised that the general public in other places outside the motor parks should regularly monitor their environments, stressing that, “the terrorists may likely shift attention having known that their plots have been uncovered.”
Source: Daily Independent
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