A captain and two soldiers have been killed by terrorists Sunday night in the Bwari area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), credible sources close to military high command told Daily Trust on Monday.
The captain and the two soldiers were attached to the 7 Guards Brigade of the Nigerian Army, it was learnt.
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The soldiers were reportedly ambushed after they visited the Nigeria Law School in Bwari following a distressed call from the authorities of the school. The school management was said to have alerted that terrorists had dropped a letter indicating an imminent attack on the school.
One of our sources said, “Following the threat letter from the terrorists, the leadership of the Nigerian Law School drew the attention of the military authorities at the 7 Guards Brigade.
“The late army captain (names withheld) and the soldiers were dispatched to the school for preliminary investigation.
“They had a discussion with authorities at the school and agreed on what to do to safeguard students, teachers and school facilities. Sadly on their way back, the terrorists ambushed them and that was how the captain and two soldiers were killed,” he said.
The source said other persons in the party escaped the attackers by whiskers.
Our correspondent was told that all stakeholders were asked to keep the threat on the law school, including the killing of the soldiers, secret.
“They said even the staff in the school should not be allowed to know what is happening because it will embarrass the government.”
Another source said following the threat, there was a plan to dispatch a joint task force to beef up security around the law school and Bwari at large.
He said besides the law school, other facilities in Bwari, especially those belonging to the government are now under threat and the people were now living in fear.
“This is the height of onslaught on the Federal Capital Territory, the seat of power,” he said.
“But the truth is that the threats have been there for long, nobody in the security circle in Nigeria will tell you that he or she is not aware of the threat on Abuja and the FCT at large.
“The terrorists have established cells in many communities around the FCT. That is why abductions have become a daily occurrence around Kuje, Gwagalada and the remaining area councils in the last one year or thereabouts.
“The target of the terrorists is to embarrass the government. They are in control of many communities in all the contiguous states to the FCT and they are finally here,” he said.
Army confirms attack, says troops combing area
When contacted, the spokesman of the Guards Brigade, Captain Godfrey Anebi Abakpa, confirmed the attack.
He said troops were already combing the general areas in order to ensure that no more terrorist is hibernating around the area.
In recent times, bandits have been attacking villages in the nation’s capital with the latest being the kidnap of a monarch in Kucihbuyi, a community in Bwari Area Council.
A few days ago, terrorists attacked Kuje prison and set hundreds of inmates free.
Villages had been sacked by bandits in Abaji, Kuje Kwali and Gwagwalada Area Councils forcing many farmers to abandon their farmlands.
FG puts schools on red alert nationwide
Meanwhile, the federal government has directed principals of unity colleges across the country to liaise with security agencies within their jurisdictions in order to forestall any security breach in the schools.
It also ordered the immediate closure of the Federal Government College (FGC), Kwali, located at Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, gave the directives in a statement on Monday by the spokesman of the ministry, Ben Bem Goong.
Adamu said the closure became necessary following the security breach on Sheda and Lambata villages, suburbs of Kwali Area Council, which also threatened FGC, Kwali.
The minister said the timely intervention of security agencies saved the situation.
He also directed that arrangements be made for final year students to conclude their NECO examinations.
FCTA orders hurried closure of schools
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has also ordered the immediate closure of all schools in the FCT by tomorrow.
A statement yesterday from the FCT Education Secretariat said the 2021/2022 academic calendar for FCT Schools would come to an end on Wednesday, July 27 as against Friday, July 29.
“All parents and guardians should please take note and ensure their wards are conveyed home in good time from the school premises,’’ the statement added.
Daily Trust reports that earlier on Monday, there was tension as parents evacuated their wards from the hostel of FGC Kwali, following the alleged threat by bandits to attack the school.
Daily Trust reports that FGC Kwali is located at Sheda village on the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The village came under heavy attack from gunmen suspected to be bandits on Sunday.
A parent, Mrs Babep Peace, said she came from Lagos to evacuate her two children after she received a call from their guardian that the college’s management had directed parents to evacuate their children.
She said it was unfortunate that their examinations were disrupted by the threat.
Another parent, Mr Obaniyi Oluwatokpe, said he was in Kabba, Kogi State when he received a call from the college’s management that he should come over to evacuate his children.
He said he was told that bandits had threatened to attack the college.
An SS II student of the college, Rebecca Samuel, said bandits attacked Sheda village Saturday night.
She said, “It was at about 12am on Saturday while we were sleeping in the hostel, we heard gunshots, which forced the school’s management to ask us to vacate the hostel.”
A staff of the college, who preferred anonymity, said the management directed parents to immediately evacuate their children because of a bandits’ attack on Sheda village on Saturday.
He said: “It is only the school fence that separates the college and Sheda village, and the attack by the bandits on the village amid sporadic gunshots on Saturday caused serious panic to both students and management, which forced the school to direct parents to come and evacuate their children.”
Security men at the gate denied our reporter access to the school.
The spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, DSP Adeh Josephine, did not reply to an SMS sent to her about the incident.
By Hamza Idris, Hussein Yahaya, Chidimma C. Okeke, Abubakar Sadiq Isah & Idowu Isamotu
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