Movie protests: FG moves to avert riots in North

The Federal Government on Wednesday took measures to prevent protests against a controversial movie.  The development was sequel to the riots that broke out in Egypt and Libya on Tuesday after some Muslims attacked the consulates of the United States in both countries. The US Ambassador to Libya, Chris Steven, and three other Americans were killed in the riots.

Widespread anger against an amateur film said to portray Islam and Prophet Muhammed in bad light sparked off the riots. The trailer of the film was upload to an online video-sharing website.

The PUNCH learnt that both military and police formations in major cities in the North had been placed on high alert while security had been beefed up around foreign missions.

Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, on Wednesday said that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, had placed all police formations in the country on high alert. He also added that the IG had ordered that security around foreign embassies and diplomats in the country be beefed up.

 “In addition, the AIG in charge of Intelligence and Commissioners of Police in charge of the various Police Special Squads such as the Counter Terrorism Unit, Police Mobile Force and Special Protection Unit have been directed to ensure that their personnel are strategically deployed to prevent and nip all potential crisis in the bud,” Mba said in a statement in Abuja.

The statement quoted the  IG   as assuring law abiding Nigerians of the readiness and capacity of the police to provide adequate security for them and their property.

It warned those it described as “potential trouble-makers” to stay off the streets as the nation’s security agencies would bring the full weight of the law to bear on them.

Abubakar also advised parents and guardians to “monitor their children and wards closely to protect them from  mischief-makers who may want to lure them into criminal and unwholesome acts.”

During the protest in Libya,  armed men  shot at buildings and threw handmade bombs into the  US Embassy compound. A Libyan doctor told Reuters that  Stevens died of severe asphyxiation.

 Libya’s Interior Ministry confirmed that Stevens died in the Tuesday attack in Banghazi.

“The American ambassador and three staff members were killed when gunmen fired rockets at them,” Reutersquoted an unnamed Libyan official as saying.

An unconfirmed photograph posted on Facebook appears to show a mob dragging a lifeless Stevens  on the ground with  his shirt off. Some reports say he suffocated to death.

 Libya’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mustafa Abushagur, said security forces had launched a manhunt for  the killers.

“I condemn the cowardly act of attacking the US consulate and the killing of Mr Stevens,” he said.

 Our correspondent who visited the US Embassy, located on Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja, on Thursday reports that enhanced security measures have been taken at the mission. He also added that there was an increase in the number of security agents deployed in the embassy.

A police patrol vehicle was also seen stationed near the Embassy of the Republic of Niger.

Visitors to the US Embassy were subjected to a thorough search at the barricade outside the building before they were allowed anywhere near the building.

Neither the policemen on duty nor the private security guards agreed to comment when approached.

Meanwhile, attempts to get comments from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.

When  one of our correspondents visited the office of the spokesperson for  the ministry, Mr. Ogbole Ahmedu-ode, he was said to be at a meeting within the building.

Repeated calls and a text message to Ahmedu-Ode’s mobile telephone were not acknowledged.

However, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Libya, Mohammed Ibrahim, who spoke in a television interview monitored in Abuja, condemned the killing of Steven.

He said the action of the Libyan government immediately after the incident was “helpful” because they not only condemned the act but also began investigations.

Speaking on the implications of the Libyan situation for the West African sub-region,  he said, “The (current armed) crisis in West Africa began from the Libyan crisis with thousands of weapons unaccounted for. The situation in (northern) Nigeria must have a link with the situation in Libya.”

Analysts on Wednesday believed the IG’s action had been aimed at discouraging the Nigerian violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, from taking a cue from the Libya crisis to unleash fresh terror on the country, especially in the northern region.