ISIS Jihadists Storm Nigeria From Syria, Train Terrorists

ISIS

ISIS Lagos, Nigeria, June 18, 2018// – Leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) are alleged to be sneaking battle-hardened jihadists from Syria into Nigeria to train terrorists in the country for possible attacks in United Kingdom.

A report monitored online by INDEPENDENT also purported that fanatics from Nigeria are also being sent to the Middle East for training in a chilling “exchange programme.”

This is as ISIS has threatened to attack commercial flights flying in and out of the Nigerian airspace.

Intelligence gathered from UK indicated that ISIS was planning to exploit regular flights between Lagos and London to export more of its trained Jihadists to the UK.

The report also said that strong links between the two countries (Nigeria and UK) may make it easier for ISIS to send its to the European country, thereby causing more death and destruction.

The report stated that at present, more than 150 British troops are conducting counter-terror training with Nigerian forces in an attempt to stem the bloody tide — and stop ISIS taking hold in the country.

The report purported that at one training mission in Kaduna State, a senior Nigerian Air Force commander revealed how Nigeria’s jihadi groups were learning from ISIS after swearing allegiance to its black flag.

The report quoted Grp. Captain Isaac Subi, 46, who has been fighting terrorism across Africa since 1991 as saying: “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.”

Subi said the lack of secure borders across Africa also made it easy to spread the bloodshed.

He added: “There are hundreds of fighters. It’s a virus that spreads across our borders. Their action leaves trails of blood and tears and sorrow.”

According to the report, the influence of ISIS had already ended in horror attacks on British streets with the stabbing to death of Fusilier Lee Rigby in 2013 in London by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, both of Nigerian descent.

Besides, ISIS has threatened to attack commercial flights within the Nigerian airspace.

To counter the attempt, the Federal Government has beefed up security at the major airports across the country to thwart their planned offensive against the country.

The government has also called on security agencies posted to the airports to immediately embark on rigorous vetting of airlines’ personnel and screening of passengers as well as increased vigilance on restricted areas at airports.

A letter, which emanated from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation with the reference number: H.150/S.91/56, dated May 25, 2018 and made available to our correspondent, ordered the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to beef up security around the nation’s airports.

The letter with the head: ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Threatens to Attack Commercial Flights,’ was signed by one O.M. Olaoye for the Secretary of the Government of the Federation.

According to the letter, the Al-Abd al-Faqir Media, a pro-Islamic of ISIS had issued the threat against Nigeria in April.

The Federal Government in the letters to the three agencies emphasised that the ISIS warning was issued in English, French and Arabic and was distributed by Telegram and other online fora by the terrorist group.

According to the government, the threat was followed by an image of a clean-shaven ark-haired white man sitting on the aisle seat of a flight with a knife in his hand.

The letter warned that ISIS claimed responsibility for the explosion and death of all 244 passengers aboard the Russian Metrojet flight 9268 shortly after take-off from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula in October, 2015 and warned the three agencies not to take the threat with levity.

It added that the warning of April 26 followed a similar warning earlier by ISIS Spokesman, Abu Hassan Al-Muhajir, on April 22, 2018, outlining the next stage in the global jihad.

The letter explained that although Africa appeared not to be on ISIS immediate focus, but noted the return to Africa of former ISIS fighters from Iraq and Syria as well as the existence of ISIS-linked groups such as the technically suave Abu Musab Al-Barnawi-led Boko Haram faction, called for increased vigilance in the aviation sector to counter possible new strategies in the terror campaign.

The letter added: “From the foregoing report, rigorous vetting of airline personnel and screening of passengers as well as increased vigilance on restricted areas at airport are advised.”

Besides, the Col. Hameed Ibrahim Ali (Rtd), Comptroller-General of Customs in a swift response to the Federal Government’s letter, called on its officers at the airports to intensify the screening process of all passengers and luggage including other measure they may deem fit.

The letter dated June 13, 2018 and addressed to all Commands and Heads of Units was with the reference number: NCS/T&T/I&E/021/S.112.

The letter was signed for Ali by Mr. Ezekiel K. C. the Assistant Comptroller-General (Tariff and Trade), Customs.

Commenting on the development, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) expressed worry over the ISIS’s threat against the country.

He, however, said that such a letter should have emanated from the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and not from the Office of the Secretary to the Federation.

Ojikutu explained that there is a committee on national aviation security under the NSA in which members were drawn from Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Civil Aviation, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of State Security (DSS), Nigeria Police and Nigeria Army.

He maintained that the Director-General of NCAA as a member of Civil Aviation Security, information on national security on aviation must emanate from national aviation security committee to the DG NCAA and not from the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government.

He added: “The intelligence estimates that gave reasons for such security alert can only be domiciled with the NSA, CDI, or the service chiefs whose representatives are on the NSA committee or the national Security Council.

“Even if the decision came from the national security council where the SFG is the secretary, it will be wrong to delegate such sensitive security responsibility to him instead of the NSA the statutory authority or the service chiefs.

“The implication is the intelligence behind the letter. If it goes out the way it is now, it has lost the value because you have made it public and the people you are running after now are the ones that will run after you. NCAA is the responsible authority on Civil Aviation Security. They are mixing up things and they are confusing themselves and if anything happens, they will hold he office of the secretary to the federal government responsible.”

Deaths by terrorist groups in Nigeria

Over the past four years, more than 20,000 people have been killed in Nigeria, mainly in the North East where a population of 900,000 is now dominated by up to 3,000 terrorists.

Another two million have fled the bloodshed. Captured men are made to fight for the fanatics and seized women are forced into marriages.

But, one terror tactic unique to Nigeria is the barbaric use of children as young as five to carry out suicide bomb attacks.

Brigadier Charles Calder, Britain’s Defence Adviser in Nigerian capital Abuja, said of the ISIS threat there: “In time, unchecked it could present a threat to both UK interests and conceivably the UK mainland.”

Brig Calder said sending small, hand-picked teams out to military training hubs across the country was the best way to prevent Nigeria collapsing.

Brits have so far trained 35,000 military personnel there and commanders say these are now performing better on the frontline.

The 2014 abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by terror group Boko Haram sparked an upsurge in UK military involvement there.

In 2016, a faction split from Boko Haram, swore allegiance to ISIS and rebranded itself Islamic State in West Africa.

Independent.ng 

 

 

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