Jail attack: Former DSS boss urges Abuja residents to be vigilant

As more reactions trail the attack on Kuje prison by gunmen, former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) Dennis Amachree has urged residents of Abuja to be vigilant, as escapees may have infiltrated the city.

Giving the warning, Amachree said: “People living in the FCT should be extra vigilant. Some of these escaped criminals could be looking for clothes, food and temporary shelter.

“They could be violent. So pay more attention to your home environment and physical security as some have already infiltrated Abuja and environs.”

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, has condemned the attack, reiterating his call for government should disclose its spending on security.

According to Lawal, “Our country has been dealing with insecurity for a long time, we’re only just seeing it manifest more aggressively.

“When we demand accountability and use the rules that govern Open Contracting to ask questions about security budget and spending, the government is quick to clamp down on Civil Society Organisations because they believe it should be confidential. Of what benefit is such confidentiality when lives are wasted and insecurity is worse off?

“It is just appalling that the state of the nation has deteriorated to this level and the government gets reactionary instead of being proactive in protecting the lives of citizens.

“The solution at this point is for the government to wake up to its foremost responsibility of safeguarding the citizens. For once, forget playing politics and actually govern the nation!”

According to Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Taiwo Lakanu (Rtd), “The security architecture is moribund.

“Nigerians are helpless due to recurring banditry and terrorists subjugation of the masses. Federal government should accept the calamitous security situation and call for national conference on security due to failure of agencies to proffer much needed solutions to the anaemic nature of the situation at hand.”