Nigeria Tightens Security Ahead of Eid-el-Fitr Celebrations

The Nigerian army and the police have beefed up security in the northern city of Kano, ahead of the celebration of Eid-el-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of fasting, Wednesday or Thursday.

Armed soldiers and policemen have been deployed to key areas of the north’s commercial capital, where a deadly bombing left many people killed and injured about a week ago.

PANA reports that though no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, after a lull in such attacks in the city, it is believed to have been perpetrated by the violent Islamic sect Boko Haram.

The local National Mirror newspaper Wednesday quoted military spokesman Capt. Ikedichi Iweha to have said adequate security was being provided to ensure a hitch-free celebration.

“We are putting heads together to see how best we can make arrangement for robust security in the state,” he said, adding that there would be an increased presence of troops in different locations in the town, especially in volatile suburbs suspected of providing cover for Boko Haram sect members.

State police command spokesman Magaji Majiya Bompai, who confirmed the joint security effort, said the command had made necessary arrangements to guarantee a hitch-free and successful Sallah celebration.

He urged the public to assist the security agents in their efforts to ensure adequate protection of lives and properties by reporting suspected characters and objects to the nearest police station or security agencies nearest to them.

On Tuesday, the military had placed the town of Potiskum in Yobe state, a hot-bed of the sect, under a 24-hour curfew apparently to prevent attacks during the celebrations.

Yobe is one of the three states (including Borno and Adamawa) in which President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency in May as part of efforts to curtail the attacks by the sect, which has killed more than 3,000 people since 2009