Nigerian defence headquarters puts troops on high alert over festive Easter period

NIGERIA'S defence headquarters have placed the nation's troops on high alert over the forthcoming Easter period amid concern that there may be security breaches during the festive periods.

Over recent weeks, there has been an increase in insecurity across Nigeria, with several high profile abductions of innocent people. Several of these kidnappings took place in places of worship and with religious activities due to increase over the Easter period, the Nigerian military high command is stepping up security.

According to the federal Ministry of defence, ongoing support from the US is strengthening counter-terrorism operations, with a visible impact expected in the coming weeks. Major General Michael Onoja, the director of defence media operations, assured Nigerian citizens of heightened vigilance by troops during the Easter celebrations.

According to Major General Onoja, the armed forces had already placed personnel on alert nationwide to prevent any security breach during the holiday period. He added that similar measures were implemented during previous festive seasons, including Christmas and Eid-el-Fitr and would be sustained.

Major General Onoja said: “We know that festive seasons usually have heightened security activities. The military command gives instructions to ensure all personnel are on alert and this time will not be different.

“I can assure you that we will always be on alert, particularly at this period of festivities, because we know that the threats expect us to relax. However, we are not going to relax and everything will be okay for this Easter."

Speaking on the ongoing collaboration with the US forces, Major General Onoja said the impact of the collaboration may not be immediately visible due to the nature of military engagements but he expressed confidence that the benefits would become evident in the coming weeks and months. He said the US support for Nigeria’s operations had been significant, particularly in the areas of intelligence sharing and training.

Major General Onoja noted that the assistance was being provided on favourable terms to strengthen ongoing counter-threat operations. He added that the intelligence being provided included information on the location of threats and hostile elements, stressing that Nigerian troops would act accordingly.

According to Major General Onoja, the personnel, who are not combat troops, were in Nigeria strictly for technical assistance, training and advisory roles in counter-terrorism efforts. However, insecurity has continued to surge in several parts of the country since their deployment, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the collaboration.