Heavy gunfire around Presidential villa, SSS headquarters in Abuja

 

There have been heavy gunfire exchanges around the vicinity of Nigeria’s presidential palace and the headquarters of the Department of State Services in the Asokoro District of Abuja in the past one hour, security sources and residents of the area said.
The expansive headquarters of the State Security Service, popularly known as Yellow House, is almost adjacent one of the remote gates of the presidential villa. Residents of the nearby Aso Drive area said the gunshots were either coming out of the SSS headquarters or the presidential villa.
A resident of the area said, “We don’t know what’s going on here. Heavy gunfire has been coming from the direction of the villa. The entire area has been barricaded. SSS operatives are scampering out of their headquarters as the gunshots get louder. “Soldiers are now heading in the direction of the SSS headquarters with Armoured Personnel Carriers. Those of us living around here have been asked to stay indoors and not venture out.”
The spokesperson of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar said the gunshots were triggered by attempted jailbreak at the
Service’s headquarters by suspected members of the extremist Boko Haram sect.
She said, “What happened was that the suspects handlers went to feed the detainees here but suddenly they attacked him with their handcuffs, disarmed him and started shooting. “The military was quickly called in before they could do any harm and that is responsible for the shootings you heard. “It was an attempted jailbreak but it has been brought under control.”

Updates 11.55 a.m:
An attempt by a Boko Haram suspect in detention at the headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS), in Abuja to disarm a security operative on Sunday morning led to heavy shooting from within the heavily fortified premises that sent panic waves within the federal Capital territory.

Several security sources in Abuja told Vanguard the incidence did not pose any challenge to the security of the federal Capital but it was a reaction by the security operatives to send a message that they were ready to confront any threat.

The Department of State Services (DSS), headquarters is less than one hundred metres from the Presidential Villa.

According to a high ranking security official, a Boko Haram suspect in detention at the SSS headquarters attempted to disarm a security operative sunday Morning when they were being served breakfast.

“Of course our men are trained to expect such scenario and the attempt was effectively neutralized. As a precaution and to send a strong message, our boys released some shots to indicate that they were ready to confront any eventuality. There is no cause for alarm and there is no threat to the peace of Abuja” the source who declined to be named told Vanguard.