DHQ: No Concrete Evidence ISIS is Training Boko Haram Terrorists

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Nigerian military said Wednesday there was no evidence that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had sneaked in fighters from Syria to support Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria, as recently reported by the media.

The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. John Agim, said in a statement ‎that the Nigerian Armed Forces would ensure that no part of the country will be under threat.

“The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wishes to respond to a report making the round that ISIS has been sending her members to Nigeria to train Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) members. It is pertinent to state categorically that there is no concrete evidence on the ground to back their claim,” he said.

He however, recalled that the Ali Musab AI-Barnawi faction of Boko Haram in 2016 pledged allegiance to the ISIS as a result of the “troops’ fire power which dislodged them from Sambisa forest and other surrounding areas in the North East.

The DDI said that the Nigerian army was aware that there was collaboration between terrorist groups, stressing that “the activity of one group in a country influences other groups in other countries and because of this knowledge, activities of other terrorist groups usually affect the military strategy.

Agim also accused Amnesty International (AI) of aligning its interests with those of the terrorists with the ultimate aim of isolating the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).

He vowed that the Nigeria military will continue to frustrate all tactics by terrorist to isolate the Armed Forces from any foreign collaboration.

“If terrorist groups understand the importance of collaboration for evil global attacks, then, it is the highest degree of irresponsibility for AI to use repeated falsehood with the intention of isolating AFN from her citizens’ support and international collaboration to win the fight against BHT and other forms of terrorism in Nigeria,” he added.

He also disclosed that proactive measures were currently being taken to nip any such development if it exists in the bud.

The Defence Spokesman further assured all Nigerians that it was up to the task of defending the country and its citizens from every attempt to infiltrate it by criminals.

He advised that “the ill motivated stories”, clips and their claims should be disregarded.

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