Security tight for Nigerian presidential inauguration

Security was beefed up in and around Nigeria’s

capital, Abuja, on Thursday, as final preparations

were made for the inauguration of Muhammadu

Buhari as president.

The 72-year-old, who defeated incumbent

Goodluck Jonathan in elections two months ago, will

be sworn in at a ceremony from 9 am (0800 GMT)

on Friday before world leaders and other

dignitaries.

Among those who have confirmed attendance are

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, US Secretary

of State John Kerry and French Foreign Minister

Laurent Fabius.

Soldiers were out in force on the streets, including

at main entry points into the city, while there was

a visible police presence at key locations such as

hotels and government buildings.

Roads have been closed around the Eagle Square

inauguration venue, where dozens of international

flags have been hoisted alongside the Nigerian

green, white and green tricolour.

Nigeria’s federal police chief Solomon Arase said

the measures were imposed “to ward off possible

plans by insurgents to carry out widespread

violence and coordinated attacks”.

Boko Haram Islamists waging a bloody, six-year

insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast, have hit Abuja

before, including twice in the space of a month

last April and May, killing nearly 100 people.

On those occasions, the bombings were at a bus

station on the outskirts of the city but in June last

year, 21 were killed when a blast rocked a shopping

mall near the city centre.

In 2010, twin car bombings claimed by militants

from the oil-producing southern Delta region killed

10 people near ceremonies in Abuja to mark 50

years of independence.

Arase urged members of the public to remain

vigilant and cooperate with the security services

“to stamp out crimes, including (the) war against

terror… to ensure (a) hitch-free inauguration”.

Tourism minister Edem Duke, who is involved with

the preparations, told AFP: “All the issues that will

make for a successful inauguration have been

validated.

“Security has been enhanced. The ceremonial

elements have been firmly put in place. The

registrar of the Supreme Court is working on the

elements of the swearing in.”

Buhari, who headed a military regime in the 1980s,

takes office just days after a deal was reached to

end a crippling fuel shortage that brought the

country to a near standstill.

There were still long queues for petrol and diesel

at filling stations, as distributors tried to clear the

backlog.