By Remi Adebayo

With nations and Abuja residents gripped with fears over possible terror attack as a result of a security alerts by the United States on Sunday, followed by subsequent withdrawal of diplomats and foreign staff from the country, a top official of the Department of State Services, DSS, confided anonymously in AbujaCityJournal, that the panic was unfounded.

The US and United Kingdom had on Sunday, October 23, 2022 issued security alerts on Nigeria, warning their citizens to avoid non-essential travels and stay away from some public places. 

On Thursday, the popular Jabi Lake Mall in the FCT was shut following what the management described as intelligence report at its disposal and the need to forestall unwanted incident.

Speaking to our correspondent on Friday, a top DSS officer who is not authorized to speak to the public, expressed sadness over the relevance being accorded the alert which he noted to have thrown the people into panic.

“Frankly speaking, there is nothing to this level of panic over this security reports by the US and United Kingdom. I can confirm to you that whatever needed to be done have been done by this agency and other sister organizations to eliminate whatever threats are said to have been identified.

“For instance, the suspects who are fingered in this renewed threat that warranted this alert have been apprehended except one which is still at large, and I can confirm that we’re closing in on him,” he said.

Continuing, he said “There is absolutely no cause for panic, we have arrested all those who need to be arrested. The house of one of the diplomats where substance said to be explosives were detected in Wuse in Abuja has been visited and after profiling the items, it was not a bomb as feared.”

The secret police official therefore appealed to Nigerians and foreigners not to panic and assured that the security agencies are not losing sight of the need to go extra miles to secure the country.