Bombings: President Jonathan To Appoint Special Adviser On Terrorism
The appointment of a special adviser on terrorism rank high among measures announced after a the emergency meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and his security chiefs summoned to discuss the New Year eve bombings at Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja which took place at the presidential villa today.
Officials figures indicated that four people lost their lives in the blast which took place just a week after another series of blasts and subsequent reprisal attacks resulted into the death of 80 people in Jos, Plateau State.
President Jonathan who had in an earlier speech linked the bombing episode in Jos to that of Abuja called the security meeting to fashion out government response to the challenge posed by the deadly explosions.
“Mr. President in the next one week is to appoint a special adviser on terrorism,” Ima Niboro, spokesperson for President Jonathan told journalists as one of the outcomes of the meeting this evening.
He added that another decision reached was that the President is going to work with the National Assembly to ensure the speedy passage of the anti-terrorism bill that is before it.
Niboro also revealed that four new presidential committees would be established including one that will be in charge of controlling of possession and circulation of explosives and another saddled with the task of promoting security awareness among the general public.
He listed part of the new security measures to includeinstallation of CCTV cameras in public places while licensed weapons would be inspected regularly to check their usage. The government however did not indicate if it has made any headway in unraveling the identity of those behind the blasts. Rather, the bombing episodes was attributed to “criminal elements in our midstâ€.
By Oluokun Ayorinde/Abuja
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