National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has frowned at the travel advisories issued by some embassies to their personnel in Nigeria, urging Nigerians and other residents to go about their businesses without fear.

Mr Monguno spoke while addressing correspondents after an emergency security meeting summoned by President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in Abuja.

The security adviser, who addressed the correspondents alongside the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyema and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lucky Irabor, noted that the travel advisories had created unnecessary fear and apprehension among Nigerians.

He added that the terror alert was needless as the hype and the sense of insecurity it created were unfounded.

“The issue of Nigerians being made to panic is unnecessary; the situation in various areas, the federal capital territory, the situation has been brought under control,” he said.

According to him, security and intelligence agencies are not resting on their oars to ensure that all Nigerians and every part of the country remain safe.

“We are trying as much as possible to work with our neighbours and within the domestic situation to work with our foreign partners in a responsible way without giving the impression that Nigeria is sitting on thin ice to explore.

“That has come to dispel any illusion about any sense of heightened insecurity.

“It is false; it is irresponsible for anybody to give that signal. We are working with our foreign partners in a responsible way, and Nigerians should go back to their normal daily undertakings without being put in a situation of fear.”

Also addressing the correspondents, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Onyeama, called on citizens to ignore the security threat and travel advisory recently issued by the U.S. and UK and continue their daily routines.

“Nigeria has been engaging the United States on intelligence sharing; It’s been the norm for U.S. to make such a pronouncement.

“We engaged the U.S. from this, and their response was that they are obliged to put out those kinds of statements, normally travel advisories.

“But in this case, it was an alert, but they said that they were obliged to, for their citizens, and that the advice, you know, the alert was really, for their citizens.

“They do it around the world, as you know, they did it also in South Africa, in this particular case,” he said.

Also allaying the fears of Nigerians occasioned by the terror alert, the Chief of Defence Staff said security agencies had been on their toes to thwart all threats.

(NAN)