In a statement by the US embassy in Abuja, America warned that ‘an anniversary security event could occur’. In the message, the US embassy evoked the August 26, 2011 suicide bombing of UN headquarters in Abuja which killed at least 25 people.
“This year, extremists have attacked many locations in Nigeria, killing and injuring hundreds of people,” the statement added.
Nigeria’s police and military authorities are not waving aside such gloomy predictions and have promised to impose a security blanket in many volatile areas.
In the city of Jos, authorities have declared off-limits two main prayer grounds that have been hit by violence in the past over security concerns, but said alternative locations were available.
IG Mohammed Abubakar has urged the public to share tips with officers, something many people have been reluctant to do out of fear of both Boko Haram and the authorities, who have been accused of abuses.
He said the police force had been directed “to take adequate measures to ensure the provision of water-tight security across the country before, during and after the celebration”.
Though the festival has been scheduled for Sunday, the Federal Government has declared Monday and Tuesday public holidays.
“In Kano, we are on the streets… For these upcoming Muslim celebrations, JTF (military Joint Task Force) will do everything, security-wise, to ensure a hitch-free festivity,” spokesman Lieutenant Iweha Ikedichi told AFP.
In Maiduguri, where Boko Haram has been based, the military was on high alert.
“We have put in place adequate security arrangements to ensure a crisis-free Sallah festivity,” spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa told AFP.
Boko Haram’s targets have widened as the group has moved from assassinations to sophisticated bombings, including suicide attacks.
Members are believed to have sought training in northern Mali from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, and Western nations have been monitoring closely for signs of further links.
While Muslims have often been its victims, the sect has recently specifically targeted churches, and President Goodluck Jonathan has accused the group of seeking to provoke a religious crisis in the country.
The group is believed to include a number of factions with varying goals, and many analysts say deep poverty and a lack of development in Nigeria’s north have been key factors in fueling the insurgency.
In June, the United States labelled suspected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and two other militants as “global terrorists”, allowing any US assets they may have to be blocked.
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