Adodo Osewengie
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd), has allegedly listed three religious organizations supporting the nefarious activities of terrorists in Nigeria and neighboring Sahel territories.
Monguno noted that the resolution by the bandits to involve themselves in spreading falsehood by circulating fake videos to gain prominence in the onslaught within the region only portrays the fact that their ranks have been decimated to a large extent by the Nigerian military.
The NSA in a statement made at the 14th workshop of the League of Ulamas, Preachers, and Imams of the Sahel countries, Abuja, listed the groups supporting the inglorious activities of the terrorists within our territorial regions. Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), Islamic and Muslim Support Group (IMSG), and Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) are part of the group giving flare to the terrorists.
Monguno said, “Terrorism and the rapid escalation of violent activities by militant Islamist groups in the Sahel since 2016 have been primarily driven by the Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS), which mainly operates in Mali and extends to the Niger Republic and Burkina Faso.
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According to the NSA, the activities of the group is bolstered by the supports it gets from Jama’at Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM), the Islamic and Muslim Support Group and this singular act has continued to constitute threats, relative and beyond, to the peace and stability that exists within our territories.
“In Nigeria, Boko-Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) dominate terrorist activities, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.
“The situation in the Sahel has never been grimmer, extremist violence continues to spread; the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is growing, and food insecurity is affecting more people than ever before.”
In an appeal to the Islamic preachers and Imams to use their positions to canvas and support the ongoing campaign against terrorism operations, the NSA noted that the alliances between clerics and the military will help in rebuilding the terrorism-infested communities.
The possibility of the Islamic State in West Africa Province, ISWAP, to create an established caliphate to rival lake chad basin commission countries has been checked, adding that “there’s no gun more powerful than enlightenment and education at the grassroots level,” Monguno added.
