Leadership (Abuja)
Esther Eziashi
5 August 2008
The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Moshe Ram, has told the Inspector General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, of plans by Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, to attack a West African country, possibly Nigeria.
Ram, who made this claim yesterday in Abuja when Okiro paid him a courtesy visit in his office as part of his tour of embassies in Nigeria to ascertain their true security needs, said the plot was uncovered by the Israeli media.
He added that his embassy is doing all within its powers to tighten its security system in Nigeria.
The ambassador, however, assured the IGP of his cooperation in the area of training and donation of equipment to the Nigeria police to enhance their performance.
Towards this end, he extended an official invitation to Okiro to visit the head of the police in Israel "so as to learn first hand how to manage emergency situation," an area he said his country has "a wealth of experience."
Ram said: "We are in a very problematic situation today, especially the Israeli embassies abroad, because of the threats that we got from the terrorist organisation, the Hezbollah, to strike Israeli embassies in West Africa.
"Though they did not speak about a specific country but there is intelligence and information that speak about this possibility.
Ram has last Friday visited the headquarters of the State Security Service in Abuja, where he met with the Director of Operations and discussed about his fears of the said attack.
The SSS, he said, "are also aware and they are doing all in their power to ensure that anything doesn't go wrong."
"The first thing that is very important to us is for you to be informed and assist us to protect this place and to give us information. It is not something new; it is something that has happened before that the Hezbollah attack Israeli embassies in few places in the world and we don't want to give them any opportunity to do the same thing here.
"This is the reason that we need maximum help from your men to help in this situation. I mean, in the press reports that came out, they did not specify the name of the country in West Africa. They said West Africa as a whole. We know that they were not particular about Nigeria but I think that it is very feasible and might, you know, in the chain of events it might happen and eventually it can become a problem.
"I mean, we got the reports yesterday and it is retaliation for the murder of one of the Hezbollah big operators, the Ahmoniyah, which happened in February. So they are looking for what we call the soft belly, a place in which security as far as they anticipate is not so strong and probably they think that this place and there are Shiite minority in all West Africa. So they anticipate that such an operation might happen.
"I don't think that it is going to happen. I don't think that it is going to happen. If they see that everyone is ready it will deter them, I can assure you. In the past we have such experience too, but it is important to reinforce the fact that this part of the world has become a laboratory for terrorists.
"I would like to seize this opportunity, of course, we will discuss it more at length, in respect to our security here. I mean, whatever we need from your organisation is always unbelievable.
"My security officer and myself we are very happy. We are very happy. We feel that the level of security provided by the Nigerian police at the embassy is satisfactory.
"I myself, I feel very confident here and I think that in a situation where the political or global situation all over the world with a lot of threats in our hands. What to do, Israel has been exposed and is still being exposed to all kinds of threats," Ram added.
Responding, Okiro said the police are well prepared to ensure that no terrorist attack succeeds in Nigeria and assured that the government has already taken steps to ensure that the kidnapped French nationals were released without any unpleasant incident.
Okiro said: "The purpose of my coming is to find out what is the security needs of the embassy. If there are some shortcomings on the part of the Nigeria Police Force to see how we can put those shortcomings straight, tighten the loose ends and ensure that we provide you with adequate security."
Also yesterday, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Jean Michel Dumond, expressed deep worry over the kidnap of two French citizens in Port Harcourt on Saturday and implored the police to assist in securing their release unharmed.
At the Swedish Embassy, Ambassador Lars-Owe Persson, who said he was about to round up his second term as the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, commended government for the security he has enjoyed in Nigeria.
On his part Okiro enjoined his host to spread the news to his country that the security perception of Nigeria as an unsafe country by the outside world is false.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday gave the german construction company, Julius Berger Plc a 24-hour ultimatum to shut down its operation in the federal capital city, Abuja.
Julius Berger last month shut down its operational base in Rivers and Bayelsa states, sequel to the kidnapping of two of its expatriate workers in one of the Rivers State communities.
The suspected kidnappers are demanding a N32 million ransom while the company insisted on not paying the money.
MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, in an online statement made available to Leadership in Yenagoa, wondered why the company still remains in Abuja after one of its trucks was burnt down by irate people.
"If Julius Berger could decide to pull out of the Niger Delta region because of the alleged disturbances by the youths, one expected that such decision should be taken with the recent happening in Abuja," he said.
The statement reads in part: "In line with their policy of withdrawing from areas of harassment in Nigeria, this should not be a difficult directive after the incident on Friday, August 01, 2008 when one of its vehicles was burnt by an irate mob in Abuja.
"Had this same scenario occurred in the Niger Delta region, the army would have been called upon to open fire on the mob, then brand them as militants.
"MEND expects Julius Berger, a company which has benefited tremendously from the Niger Delta region, where its crude oil was used as barter payment in most cases for the building of Abuja, to apply the same policy of leaving troubled areas as it did when it recently quit the Niger Delta region.
"Failure to vacate its staff from construction sites and halt all on-going projects in the FCT, Abuja, on the deadline will result in unprecedented deadly attacks on the expatriate staff of Julius Berger inside Abuja and other parts of the country until they comply."
Meanwhile, soldiers attached to the Joint Military Task Force early yesterday invaded Agge, one of the riverine communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in search of the perpetrators of last Sunday's attack on the military personnel in Bomadi area of Bayelsa State.
During the attack one woman was reportedly killed by a stray bullet while two gun boats were severely damaged by the suspected militant youths. No arrest was made during the attack which saw the exchange of fire between the JTF men and the suspected militant youths.
Acting on a tip-off, the military stormed the riverine community, which is some kilometres away from the high sea, in search of the perpetrators, who are said to be having their hide-out in Agge .
Our source revealed that the soldiers invaded the community in three gun boats, shooting sporadically into the air, which threw the entire community into a state of panic.
Many residents took refuge in nearby creeks while others in the town now live in fear, as they saw the attack as a reprisal one.
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