Alleged allegiance to ISIS mere propaganda —US

FOLLOWING the recent bombings in Maiduguri, Borno State capital and the pledge by Boko Haram to join forces with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the United States (US) has sent an envoy to Nigeria to review security.

United States congressman, Stephen F. Lynch, currently in Nigeria, is meeting with US security and counterterrorism personnel, as well as Nigerian leaders.

This came as Lynch asked Nigerians not to worry about threats by the terrorists to disrupt the general election in Nigeria, asking Nigerians not to allow the threat to reduce their participation.

This came as the US said the alleged allegiance of Boko Haram to ISIS was more of propaganda than operational engagement.

Congressman Lynch, a ranking Democrat on the National Security Subcommittee was in Nigeria to review embassy and diplomatic security at high-risk overseas State Department facilities, in the wake of terrorist attacks on the US Consulate and Classified Annex in Benghazi, Libya in September, 2012.

In a statement made available to the Nigerian Tribune by the US Embassy, Lynch said “this is a critical time for Nigeria and this region,” adding that “Nigeria’s national elections are scheduled in just over two weeks, while Boko Haram controls an area in the North about the size of New Jersey.

“The bombings and other Boko Haram activities are sure to further destabilise some areas in the run-up to the election. It’s a precarious situation.”

The US, he stressed, had committed $40 million over three years for equipment and training assistance to Nigeria, Chad, and other African nations in the efforts to combat Boko Haram.

“The situation can change quickly and we have to continue to find ways to collaborate with our African partners as they battle against regional terrorist organisations,” Lynch added.

Reacting to the recent claims of the leaders of Boko Haram that they had pledged allegiance to ISIS, spokesperson of the Department of State, Ms Jen Psaki, said the US was undertaking to assess the validity of the allegiance to truly determine its validity.

She there had been similar claims that were more designed for propaganda purposes than operational engagement, noting that there was no indication at this point that these particular claims differed from the previous ones.

Psaki, however, pressed further that the American government would, of course, assess the validity of the claims and what it means.

“We continue to watch closely, and obviously, we take any of this seriously,” she noted.

She welcomed the coordinated efforts by the defence and security forces of Chad, Niger and Cameroon to protect civilians from terrorist group.

Earlier, the congressional delegation had visited embassies and Consulate General offices in Johannesburg, South Africa, Maputo, Mozambique, and Harare, Zimbabwe, in an effort to strengthen US capacity to prevent and withstand potential attacks against foreign service operations.

He was accompanied to Nigeria by House staffer Bruce Fernandez and military escort, Navy Lieutenant Alex P. Smith of Pleasa

Speaking during a courtesy visit to the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Lynch said the electorate needed to exercise their franchise in large numbers and vote for candidates of their choice.

He also said despite the fact that US was attacked on September 9, 2001, elections in some parts of the country still went on as scheduled.

According to him, it was important that Nigerians should not allow any extremist deny them of the right to vote on election days.

“My message to Nigeria is to get out and vote. I think it sends a strong signal to those who would try to take away your democracy.

“I was elected on September 11, 2001, the day we were attacked by Al-Qaeda and we went forward with our election.

“Though that was election day, I think it showed a commitment to democracy and you never want to have a democratic election cancelled because of what a few extremists might do,” he said.

Senate Leader, Ndoma-Egba, also told the visiting lawmaker that the fight against terrorism remained a global one, adding that Nigeria welcomes partnerships with global friends.

MEANWHILE, following the alarm raised on possible recruitment of Nigerians into the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the Federal Government has said there is no evidence of the dreaded terrorist group in Nigeria.

The government also said the current bombardment by the Nigerian troops and the multi-national forces on the insurgents had forced the terrorist group, Boko Haram, to seek alliance by pledging their loyalty to the ISIS.

Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, made this known while briefing journalists on the state of security in the country.

“The centre has noted the latest audio recording posted online by the insurgent group, Boko Haram, where they pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“We wish to state that there is no evidence that ISIS operates in Nigeria and the latest attempt by Boko Haram to identify with the group is an act of desperation, aimed at seeking attention and possible assistance from outside, in the face of the crushing defeat they are suffering in the hands of the Nigerian armed forces and other regional collaborators,” he said.

Speaking on the war on insurgents, Omeri said the government would not relent in its fight against terrorism until Boko Haram is permanently wiped out of the country.

“The fact of the matter is that Nigeria and its neighbours are pushing the insurgents away from their strongholds, capturing many of them and destroying several of their facilities.

“The government, therefore, wishes to assure Nigerians that this tempo will be sustained until every presence of Boko Haram insurgency is totally obliterated in Nigeria.

“The only nation that will exist in Nigeria is a united Federal Republic of Nigeria, which demands the cooperation, commitment and patriotism of all its citizens,” he added.

Omeri also called on Nigerians to be security conscious, adding that the fleeing terrorists still posed security threat to the citizens.

“In our previous alerts to the nation, we warned of the possibility that fleeing members of the insurgent group would resort to attacking communities and other soft targets on their way.

“We continue to urge Nigerians to be vigilant, especially at this period when our security forces continue to fish out members of the group, who might have been embedded in the society, and whose activities have given rise to the recent bombing incidents within Maiduguri and other locations in the North East zone,” he said.

Speaking further, the NIC coordinator said the Joint Task Force (JTF) had arrested eight suspected terrorists with explosives in Borno around the Custom Area in Maiduguri.