As the country struggles
to curb the violent activities of the Islamic fundamentalist sect, Boko
Haram, international intelligence agencies have uncovered plans by
al-Qaeda, to launch fresh attacks on Nigeria, Ghana and two other
African countries.
Al-Qaeda, which was
founded by the late Osama bin Laden, has launched attacks all over the world.
Investigations by SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively showed that the targeted countries were receiving help from Western nations on how to prevent the onslaught.
However, it was not
clear if the attacks would be launched by al-Qaeda in the Maghreb or the
main terrorist organisation in the country.
The Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, confirmed the al-Qaeda plot to our correspondent.
Mba, however, noted that
such threats were received in the past, and added that security
agencies were determined to ensure the group’s plan did not succeed.
According to him, the police are receiving immense support from developed countries that have counter- terrorism expertise.
Mba said, “That al-Qaeda
and similar groups want to attack some certain countries is not new. As
security operatives, we treat information at our disposal with
uttermost care. We test their veracity and analyse them.
“Here in Nigeria, we
stop most of the domestic attacks before they take place. We defuse more
bombs than they detonate. We save thousands of lives daily but we do
this discretely and quietly.
“More than ever, we have
so much support from the international community. We are getting help
from both ECOWAS and western countries. We are doing our best with the
resources we have and we will continue to do so.
“We have stepped up security everywhere but we won’t disclose how we are doing that and the specifics of our mechanisms.
“I want to assure
Nigerians and the international community that government is irrevocably
committed to its mandate of providing adequate security in the
country.”
Ghana, another country
on the radar of al-Qaeda, last Tuesday stepped up security at its Kotoka
International Airport, Accra, with heavy deployment of soldiers, who
frisked passengers using metal detectors.
Armed troops are not a regular feature in Kotota and Ghanaians described the movement of troops as strange.
On Tuesday, Daily Guide,
a newspaper in Ghana, had reported that, “Nigeria, three others are
said to be on the radar of the terrorist group. Ghana is also said to be
on a hit list of an international terrorist group, leading to
deployment of soldiers at the Kotoka International Airport, Accra.
“It was learnt that the
action of the military was informed by international intelligence fed to
Ghana that the country was one of four others being targeted by
terrorists for bombing. The presence of the soldiers is therefore a
national security response to the alert, a source said.”
When the newspaper
contacted Ghana’s Director of the Armed Forces Public Relations
Directorate, Col. Mbawine Atintande, he reportedly explained that “there
are only a few military policemen at the (airport) place.”
As to whether the operation was a response to certain international threat, Akintande said he would find out.
Just on August 3, 2012,
the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom warned
travellers to Ghana that there was an “underlying threat from terrorism”
in the country.
“Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by expatriates and foreign travellers,” it said.
Al-Qaeda‘s foot prints
abound in Nigerian as it has cells in the northern part of the country
and had also claimed responsibility for some terrorist activities.
In April, the State Security Service arrested Mohammed Ashafa said to be al-Qaeda linkman with a terror group in Nigeria.
Ashafa was reportedly
apprehended by the Pakistani government through the National
Intelligence Agency and handed over to the Federal Government for
prosecution.
When he was arraigned at
the Federal High Court, the SSS told the court that the accused person
facilitated terrorist exchange programmes between al-Qaeda and its
allies in the country.
The intelligence agency
further said its investigations showed that Ashafa was allegedly the
second in command to one Adnan Ibrahim, who was said to be the Resident
al-Qaeda chief in West Africa, but based in Kano.
Also, in May, al-Qaeda in the Maghreb claimed responsibility for the murder of a German, Edgar Raupach, in Kano.
Raupach was killed by his abductors when security forces tried to free him during a rescue operation.
A Briton, Christopher McManus, and an Italian, Franco Lamolinara suffered similar fate in March.
-Punch
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