The deadly global terrorist group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has reportedly found Nigeria a fertiler ground for the training of its ‘hardened battle-ready’ extremists in an ‘exchange programme’ with Boko Haram.
A reports by the Sun UK said ISIS commanders were sneaking jihadist fighters from Syria into Nigeria for training and possible attacks on Britain.
The report published on the British media website claimed that while some jihadists have been brought into the country, some of the Boko Haram jihadist fighters have already been sent to the Middle East for training in an exchange programme.
Insiders fear that the strong links between Nigeria and the UK will make it easier for ISIS to send its killers from Nigeria to Britain to cause more deaths.
Already, more than 150 British troops are conducting counter-terror training with Nigerian forces in an attempt to checkmate ISIS from taking hold in the North-East. At one training mission in Kaduna, a senior Nigerian Air Force commander, Group Captain Isaac Subi, revealed how Boko Haram terrorists were learning from ISIS after swearing allegiance to its black flag.
Group Captain Subi, who have reportedly been fighting terrorism across Africa since 1991, said the lack of secure borders across Africa makes it easy to spread the bloodshed. “They come and train their fighters here and some of our insurgents too are granted access to their training in Yemen and Syria, acquiring those skills and they come back and teach others. They have this exchange programme of fighters. There are hundreds of fighters. It’s a virus that spreads across our borders. Their action leaves trails of blood and tears and sorrow,” he said.
In 2015, leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, released an audio statement on the group’s social media account where it pledged allegiance to ISIS. In the audio message which was translated from Arabic to both French and English, Shekau said: “We announce our allegiance to the caliph and we will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity.”
Over the past four years, more than 20,000 people have been killed in Nigeria, mainly in the North East and over one million people reportedly displaced and living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps scattered around the country.
Brigadier Charles Cadler, Britain’s defence adviser in Abuja, said ISIS could be a threat to the UK mainland if unchecked.
“In time, unchecked it could present a threat to both UK interests and conceivably the UK mainland,” he said.
When Daily Sun contacted Group Capt Subi to know if he actually granted the interview to the Sun UK, he neither confirmed nor denied the report, but merely said he could not speak about the matter over the phone, especially when he was not certain of the identity of the caller.
He said: “I don’t know you, so I cannot discuss these things on phone. You can come over if you want us to discuss it, but not now, because today is a public holiday. I will be at work tomorrow.”
Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General John Agim, did not pick his call when contacted on the matter. He failed to respond to a Whatsapp message sent to him at 5:20pm yesterday. Attempt to get comment of Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu is failed as his phones were switched off.
-Sun
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