The Defence Headquarters has said that the recent warning that the Islamic State and Al-Qaida terrorist groups are infiltrating the West African region is not new.
The United States Africa Command (US AFRICOM) warned recently the Islamic State and Al-Qaida terrorist groups are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic and gradually taking over the West African Region after losing ground in Syria, Iraq and in the Middle East.
The Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, Major General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, warned the extremists have already begun deploying several strategies to silently re-establish themselves in the region and expand in the entire continent without drawing attention.
According to the Commander, the Al-Qaida sect has already expanded in Mali and has moved into northern Burkina Faso, where they attacked infrastructure, took out local governance and security Forces, and are controlling the local economy.
But Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, noted that it was the Nigerian Military who raised the alarm of movement of terrorists from the Middle East to West Africa and is conscious of it.
“Our attention being drawn to the fact that terrorists from other zones are coming here, I think it would be good for us to be keeping records of events as they unfold.
“For me this is not the first time they are raising such an alarm, the alarm is as old as maybe five or ten years ago and the armed forces and the country is conscious of it.
“When the conflict in Libya was declared officially that it ended, which did not end what happened? It was we, our NIA, state service and all that raised the information that this people are moving.
“Have we not captured foreigners among the people that have been terrorizing us in this country?
“So it is just like a call to keep doing what you are doing, so the general public should know that the security agencies are on top of that one,” Eneche said.
He said the Nigerian Military recently captured some members of the terrorist groups in Niger state from our neighbouring country.
Eneche urged the general public not to despair as it is not new, adding that the Nigerian Military is on top of the situation.
“Why do we have ISAWP here now, was ISWAP indigenous to Nigeria, No! So it’s just like telling you the obvious and I want to take it like an advice to continue to ensure you have measures in place to continue checking them.”
SOURCE: THE NATION