Alhaji Ibrahim Jega, the Executive Secretary, National Mosque Management Board, Abuja, said on Thursday that the National Mosque was highly protected by security agencies.
Jega told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the security organs had been giving adequate cover to the mosque, within and outside.
“I can tell you that security measures are reasonably and adequately in place, and taken care of by the security agencies responsible for it.
“In short, all the staff, people coming to worship in the mosque are giving the security operatives the necessary support to make their work much easier.
“Sincerely speaking, the issue of security had been our watchword and only recently we decided to increase our security network owing to the lingering insecurity in the country”, he said.
According to him, “if you come around the mosque, you will discover that security personnel are everywhere monitoring and checking cars, buses and even people passing on the streets”.
Jega said that the measures were to thwart any attempt by anybody to breach the peace of the land.
He said that the security agents were always around the mosque to ward off suspicious movements.
“To be sincere, they have given adequate protection to the National Mosque and its surrounding environment.
“We have not heard any instances of security breach, both within and outside the mosque, for whatever reason”, Jega said.
He commended the security personnel for their professionalism and dedication to duty.
The scribe also lauded the complementary role provided by the local security personnel in the mosque, saying that they measured up to expectations.
However, he said that they were also intensifying efforts to ensure that the mosque was much more secured for worshippers.
He urged the staff and Nigerians to supply useful information to security agencies, to tackle the current security challenge threatening the country.
He said Nigerians should take security as a collective responsibility, irrespective of socio-political, religious and economic background, and should not be left in the hands of the government alone. (NAN)
