TROOPS of the United States (US) Army have collaborated with operatives of the Nigerian Department of State Service (DSS) to carry out a raid on Trademore Estate in the Lugbe area of Abuja.
This was disclosed in a notice issued by the management of the estate.
“It’s no longer news that there was a High Powered Sting Operation in Phase 3 this afternoon, culminating in a complete shutdown of our estate. A combination of the American Army and our DSS team were responsible.
“We are unable to give full details of the reason(s) behind the operation, however, we can confirm that there was an allegation of terrorist activities. It is therefore desperately incumbent on every resident to remain vigilant, KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS and report any suspicious movement, person or activities to the Exco, Street Reps and/the Police,” the notice read.
The ICIR contacted the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the DSS Peter Afunanya for further information on the raid.
He, however, did not respond to messages sent by The ICIR.
The raid comes days after a security alert issued by the US embassy, warning residents of an imminent terror attack in Abuja.
The US and the United Kingdom (UK) issued security alerts over likely terror attacks in Abuja on Sunday.
Residents were warned to avoid crowded areas, government-owned buildings, tourist centres and places of western interest.
Following the alerts, the Department of State Service (DSS) urged Abuja residents to remain calm while taking necessary security precautions.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, also ordered security beef up in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the states.
However, the US ordered the evacuation of its non-essential staff from Nigeria on Tuesday.
Canadian and Australian governments also issued security warnings in updated travel advisories on Wednesday, warning their citizens to avoid unnecessary travels to Nigeria.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via vopara@icirnigeria.org or @ije_le on Twitter.
