From
Thecable
US marines are in Nigeria to help the country’s security services tackle
increasing threats, TheCable understands. Nigeria is playing host to the 7th
World Economic Forum Africa in Abuja next week amid heightened security
challenges.
The summit is expected to be attended by over 10 heads of state and
government as well as over 900 delegates from 70 countries. Presidents of
Algeria, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali Nigeria, Rwanda,
Senegal, Tanzania and Togo have confirmed attendance. Former British Prime
Minister, Gordon Brown, and former President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, are
expected to attend. Also, over 50 chief executives of big global corporations
have confirmed attendance. However, because of recent blasts in Nyanya – on the
outskirts of Abuja – there have been heightened fears of a possible terror
attack during the summit.
Nigerian government has been assuring the world that it would provide maximum
security, announcing a complete shut-down of schools and government offices
during the summit.
TheCable reported on Tuesday that a 6,000-strong personnel, made up of
soldiers and other security agents, will be deployed in Abuja – the heaviest
security for a summit in Nigeria. The US marines have already arrived the
country, according to sources in the know of their movement. “They are not going
to be directly involved in the World Economic Forum event,” a senior American
security source told TheCable. “Their brief is to train the Nigerian security
services. It should be expected that Nigerian agents will handle the security of
the summit.”
The marines are highly specialised soldiers who have been deployed in areas
affected by serious conflict and terrorism, such as Afghanistan and Iraq. They
are described in Wikipedia as “an amphibious, expeditionary, air-ground combined
arms task force, capable of forcible entry from the air, land, and sea. It is
capable of asymmetric warfare with conventional, irregular, and hybrid forces.
While the Marine Corps does not employ any unique combat arms, as a force it can
rapidly deploy a combined-arms task force to almost anywhere in the world within
days.”
Meanwhile, TheCable has learnt that some of the extra security measures for
the summit include:
- Immediate deployment of the high security operation as against previous
plans to deploy them from Tuesday Expansion of secure zone perimeters at key
locations (initially limited to 250 metres radius) Additional security at
venues, Abuja airport and key roads, as well as on dedicated shuttle services to
and from the airport and between venues..