 The Department of State Services has called for calm after the United States Embassy in Nigeria issued a security alerts warning of elevated risk of terror attacks in Abuja. The services public relations officer Peter Afonair issued the statement on Sunday advising Nigerians to be alert and assist security agencies with information regarding threats and suspicious criminal acts around them. The US Embassy had earlier in the day warned that terrorists could target government buildings places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, athletic gatherings, terminals and transport terminals, law enforcement facilities and international organisations. For joining us to discuss this is Balazaka, he's a security expert. Mr Zaka is so good to have you join us. Good evening. Thank you. Good evening. Great. Everywhere that's been mentioned it's almost like oh you know what we should just stay at home and shut our doors because I mean these are our places that we all go to for our daily businesses. So if the DSS is asking us to be wary then it means that there is trouble in the land obviously and that's the seat of power. That's the capital. Remember what happened in a week. We had the president's convoy attacks. We had you know an attack that was somewhere close to the FCT. We've seen all kinds of things happen. Recently thank goodness these train victims were released to us after so much has happened. Where does this even place us in terms of the fight against insecurity because it looks like the president keeps talking tough but we don't see much to actions? Well what is happening is a practical indication that somehow somewhere as far as security management and security control is concerned I mean Nigeria is not getting is right and the level of security or the security alert has become so serious to the point where I mean governments of other countries have to warn their citizens to be aware of how they come into Nigeria. Parts of Nigeria they need to go to and for those who are already in Nigeria they need to be aware of areas that we technically call black spots. You don't blame Nigeria's citizens for avoiding some areas that we technically call black spots and we cannot blame governments of other nations for trying to pass our security alert to their citizens. So what I'm saying is this with this security alert and information of course investment will suffer in Nigeria whether you call them corporate investments or petty jobs and activities because when you talk about places that people should go and buy things for their daily needs I mean if there is such an alert people will restrict their movement and perishable boost will get perished and for those who are supposed to enjoy corporate patronage of course people will be after their lives and avoid so many areas and investors will suffer whether they are small or major investors. Let's talk about the issue of you know whether we stay at home or we don't stay at home there is a threat. It took the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria to issue that warning. We as Nigerians living in Nigeria we have no idea that this is going to happen. Well the DSS or security agencies can tell us that they're trying to doubt attention they do not want to alarm us but the government of the day I like I always like to go back to the fact that this is one of the things that President Mohammed Buhari and his vice ran on they promised in fact one of the reasons why Nigerians voted for this administration was because they promised that this issue of insecurity will be a thing of the past but can we also say that it has more than doubled in fact it has become something that you know it keeps duplicating itself now we have sales we have not just Burkaw Haram but we have ice swap we have the bandits we have the castle rustlers we have the unknown government even in the south east we've seen all kinds of killings and kidnappings on the rise could we have nipped this in the pod earlier on and what is it that every other person in every other part of the world even right here in Africa certain countries have been able to deal with you know the gun running across the Sahel but it looks like Nigeria we keep on you know making the same mistakes over and over again what is it that we're missing in fact one of the biggest problems I have with our economic and political leaders is lack of honesty ordinarily I would expect us to be running a system of governance where children are to parents what citizens should be their leaders they should not expect us to be perfect but we should be honest and always tell them the truth if things are not going right tell your children if you are if you don't have a job if the economy is high with our leaders is that they don't tell the citizens the truth and they have forgotten that we are in the days of information technology there is nothing that you can hide everybody knows that the security architecture in the country has the case and things are not going well citizens the truth so that citizens can support leaders and make sure we find workable solutions the leaders will be acting with the oil and gas or some of them will take the truth okay I just want to give you some statistics to address the point that I'm about to make now terrorists killed a soldier recently they've killed a customs officer they kidnapped 20 farmers the police on one hand is saying that oh well we plan to strengthen our security and restrathogize I'm wondering as a lay person if we have dealt with this level of insecurity that keeps going from bad to worse in almost eight years under this administration I mean and even before then but what we're seeing now is obviously has all obviously you know decayed under this administration why is our security agency telling us that they're trying or they're planning to restrathogize they're planning to strengthen security should this have not been done in the first instance again there are people who will say that oh the police has been stretched thin and and we don't have enough police officers to police us and now we have soldiers on the streets who are not supposed to be there we've also heard the police chief the IDP of police talked off say he's he's going to ensure water type security across the country across all of these places I mentioned when we started this conversation they've talked off and said we're on top of the matter we'll leave no stone unturned all of these statements have not been matched reaction again when you've talked about the fact that well they're not being sincere okay um they even if they were sincere to us and nothing is still being done where we where we really headed to because again more and more lives are being wasted unnecessarily interagency collaboration or let me package it well security interagency collaboration is a problem of its own is a subject of its own that will be discussed on on another day again if it can create the time and the opportunity lack of standing it's a major problem on its own but we are talking about general failure of security across the sector of Nigeria because in the first place when you talk about security there is what we call territorial integrity security and internal security everywhere to have a functional and a well equipped police system to be involved in the issues the military is supposed to be there to take care of intervention, inclusion or aggressions but based on their fundings we know that there is lack of motivation within the police force we know that I mean even some of the police that use their lives their families don't get I mean the military was deployed and when the military got deployed somewhere somewhere there was no conflict between them and that's why you will see fighting with the civil defense personnel will be fighting with the police officer or a customer and they will be killing themselves collaboration is a major problem on its own and the subject let's talk about um what Nigerians have to face on the daily basis now Nigerians have somewhat and this is not just about the Bahari administration this has happened over time Nigerians have had to provide everything for themselves ranging from water to light to sometimes even grading their own roads you know because we have seen that government have not necessarily lived up to expectation and when I say government again not just the Bahari administration and now it seems that we've resorted also to providing our own security um by living in gated areas and and you know getting private security personnel's what is the fate of the actual the avid Nigerian and and and really um what value is there on the avid Nigerian life between you I will answer this question I just want to tell you that everything I will tell you okay give my phone in the area present themselves rather you said something about questioning them I mean some of these people are smooth talkers they've done this over time so much that they can say it in their sleep so I could come here and talk a good game but then when it comes down to which don't forget I'm going to use the president Bahari here again he's on the chopping board this night um he promised a lot in fact he set our expectations pretty high but as we speak from the the the the put together of his cabinet all the way down to he speaking with us or giving us attention or even addressing us as a country um we can say that the president has not necessarily lived up to that high expectation of where the hopes you know we had for him were at the time so again questioning and getting answers is it just that that we need to be able to pick the right people again if everything that you've said tonight is anything to go by talking about the failures of our government subsequent and of course the present ones um why then do we need a government if we're doing everything for ourselves and what's the essence of this government if they're unable to give us the basics even even even the most important as securing lives and property when I'm home to get a visionary leader but once you get a visionary leader connecting to hope that that's very good lieutenant because he will not be the energy journalist he will not be the medical doctor he will not be the engineer he will not be the environmentally but he can identify and elect him around himself with supporting lieutenant and that's why some advocating for an inclusive government on ambition of growing Nigeria economically politically socially that is the meaning of an integrated and an inclusive government okay well I want to say thank you Mr Balazaka he's a security expert always a pleasure to have you on the on the show we're hoping that we will make the right choices come 2023 thank you all right well that's the show tonight I want to thank you all for being part of the conversation and of course we will be back tomorrow as usual talking for development and bringing you the biggest political stories across the country and even around the continent I'm Mary Annacon don't forget to subscribe to our youtube page follow plus tv africa on youtube and plus tv africa lifestyle and you can watch us on all streaming platforms including the glow streaming platform I'm Mary Annacon I'll see you tomorrow have a good night