By Muhammad Aminu
The Chief of Defence Staff(CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has said that security agencies have foiled what could have been major attacks in Kano and Abuja last week.
Gen. Irabor also said citizens must trust and support the military and other security agencies for the war on insecurity to be more effective in the country.
The CDS disclosed this while speaking on a Channels Television special programme on Sunday for Democracy Day.
He regretted that violent incidents continued in Nigeria but argued that security agencies had averted several others.
“Security agencies had halted what could have been a major attack in Kano and Abuja,” he said.
“We recovered a large quantum of arms and ammunition and other materials which, of course, the criminals were intending to use in various parts of the country, including Abuja,” he added.
He said the security operatives across the country record many successes despite persistent criminal activities.
Gen. Irabor, therefore, called on Nigerians to trust and support the security operatives as all Nigerians are potential victims.
“I’m a victim as well as any Nigerian that is on the street. We are all victims together. There’s no one who is on the other side. We are in it together. We are on the frontlines. Trust is not something we need to beg for.
“I will seek and crave the indulgence of all Nigerians to say that there has to be trust. Trust must exist, and trust must be given in all respect so that together we will achieve the state of peace that we so desire,” he said.
However, he admitted that the desired state of security is yet to be achieved as many parts of the country are disturbed by violent crimes, including kidnapping and gunmen massacres.
It can be recalled that recently police in Kano intercepted a vehicle laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on its way to the state via Jigawa State.
Similarly, the Department of State Security ( DSS) arrested a top commander of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) identified as Malam Abba in Kano.
Kano and Jigawa States are the only relatively secure states in Northwestern Nigeria where bandit-terrorists continue killing and abducting innocent citizens.
