By Ohanele Casca
As Nigerians are still licking the wounds caused by the incessant terror attacks by the Boko Haram group in the Northern and central parts ofNigeria, another terror group according to reports, has emerged. The group which called itself ANSAR, yesterday, in a statement claimed responsibility for the attack at the camp of the Police Special Armed Robbery Squad (SARS) inAbujawhich sent two police officers to their untimely grave and set more than 30 detainees at the facility free. Earlier yesterday, the police spokesman Frank Mba had said that most of the fleeing detainees have been rearrested. However, the exact motive for the attack has not bee made public but according to a police personnel who spoke fromAbujaon condition of anonymity said, some arrested members of the terrorist gang are detained at the facility and that the attackers were able to free their members. The source noted that the gun men who may have operated through the back path of the facility were not very conversant with the area making it possible for the law enforcement agents to get most of them rearrested. However, the total number of released detainees and recaptured ones remains sketchy.
In the statement by the new islamist terror group ANSAR, they claimed the attack was successful and that 37 of their detained members were freed, a claim Mr Mba has denied, noting that as soon as the statement of the group is made available to the police, it will be studied.
Meanwhile, the IG, Mohammed Abubakar and the Police Affairs Minister, Caleb Olubolade have visited the centre. For the same issue, the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed has called an emergency security meeting of all security agencies to study the situation.
It will be recalled that the activities of the dreaded Boko Haram have claimed about 3000 lives since 2009. With the emergence of a new group that call themselves “ANSAR”, the terror in the northern part ofNigeriais taking a new dimension.
Experts have blamed the unabating terror attacks on the handling with kid gloves by the Federal Government some eminent Nigerians who have been fingered as having links with the deadly islamist sect seeking for an Islamic state ofNigeria. Recently, the military barrack at Jaji was bombed by a suicide bomber which claimed about 16 lives and hundreds injured barely 24 hours before theAbujaattack. Many have noted that the groups have infiltrated the ranks and files of the Nigerian security agencies making it difficult for intelligence to put a stop to their activities. The porous nature of military formations in the north has also been blamed for making it easy for the group to attack military formations which is an indication that even the President is not safe.
It is unfortunate that military barracks in the north are not fenced because the north were the impression that their lives are synonymous with the Nigerian military following many years of the northerners being in the saddle of the Nigeria military high command. As the carnage continues, Nigerians have called the government to restrategize and find a lasting remedy to the deteriorating security situation in the country.
