Terror threat: Security beefed up at Aso Rock, as DSS arrests ISIS recruiter in Nigeria

Henceforth, visitors to and workers at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, must submit themselves for more rigorous and thorough checks at all entry points to the seat of power.

This is a move to beef up security around the President and his Vice and all other occupants of the Villa, in order to prevent unwanted elements from posing security threat to the vast complex.

This is even as the Department of State Service (DSS) arrested one Abdussalam Enesi Yunusa, who is said to be the point man of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria in Nigeria.

Yunusa, a 400 Level student of the Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State, was arrested by the DSS on January 17, 2016. He was described as one of the recruiters for the ISIS in Nigeria.

Accordingly, staffers of the State House and visitors alike have been advised to cooperate with the security personnel at the gates by submitting themselves and their vehicles to the routine checks that might be intensified.

This directive was contained in a memo dated January 26, 2016, issued by the Chief Security Officer to the President, Bashir Abubakar.

He had expressed concern over the refusal of some security personnel driving or accompanying VIPS to surrender their vehicles to checks at the pilot gates.

Noting that most of the attacks on high profile targets around the world were carried out using hijacked tinted vehicles, the CSO advised that all and sundry entering the Aso Rock Villa should subject themselves and their vehicles to checks at the gates.

He said the measure would prevent unscrupulous elements from exploring the situation to launch attack on the federal seat of power.

The memo titled “Use of tinted cars around the Presidential Villa, Abuja” read in part:

“It is important to note that the insistence of security operatives at the pilot gates to properly screen vehicles coming into the villa whether tinted or not tinted, official or unofficial is not out of place.

“Therefore, there is need for all to subject themselves and their vehicles to security checks as the case may be, so as to prevent unscrupulous elements from exploring the situation to launch attacks on the Villa.

“More So, that most of the major attacks by terrorists groups on high profile targets around the world are being carried out using hijacked vehicles or vehicles with tinted glasses.”

On the arrested ISIS linkman, a statement by Tony Opuiyo of the DSS says that other ISIS loyalists in the country, including 17-year-old Mohammed Aliyu Ndako, an undergraduate student of a tertiary institution in Kwara State; and a lady, Zainab Mohammed, were arrested by the Service in January.

Dreaded terrorist group in Nigeria, Boko Haram, recently declared allegiance to the ISIS.

The statement by Opuiyo, also listed the achievements of the DSS in the arrest of notorious kidnappers and pipeline vandals.