Coordinator, National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri,
Reporters also reliably
gathered on Friday that intelligence agencies such as the Defence
Intelligence Agency and the Nigerian Intelligence Agency had issued an
international warning, requesting that other countries should refuse
visa to Nigerians going to war-ravaged countries in the Middle East.
This would make it almost possible for
Nigerians to get a visa from the country to any of the countries listed
under the restriction alert in the Middle East.
Similarly, Reporters learnt
that the screening of inbound international passengers at major airports
in the country had been intensified in the past one week. Airports
where such screenings are being carried out include those in Kano, Lagos
and Abuja.
It was learnt that apart from the bomb
detectors used for all passengers, movements of some citizens of some
Middle East countries were monitored right from their arrival in the
country.
Senior aviation security officials who
spoke to our correspondents noted that the recent security alert by the
Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri, had been
taken seriously.
Omeri, in a statement on Tuesday, had
said that agents of ISIS were in the country to recruit Nigerian youths
to fight for the terrorist group.
In a statement signed by his Special
Adviser, David Okoji, Omeri said three South Africans were among
fighters recruited by ISIS under the guise of humanitarian support
groups for refugees in Nigeria.
Speaking in a telephone interview with
one of our correspondents in Abuja on Friday, Omeri confirmed that three
South Africans had been hired to recruit young fighters for ISIS from
Africa.
He said, “This is why we are alerting
Nigerians to beware. They could come in the name of offering
scholarships, visas or recruitment into international humanitarian
organisations. Young Nigerians should be wary of such offers because
they would come through subtle means.
“We are raising the alarm so that no
Nigerian would fall victim. This is security information from highly
dependable sources. Government agencies have been put on the alert and
if any of them is not aware, they should please ensure that they put the
necessary measures in place to thwart the effort.”
Omeri said government would work with
foreign and international bodies to frustrate any effort to recruit
young Africans, especially Nigerians to fight for the terrorist
organisation, ISIS.
He also disclosed that NOA would explore
the existing structures it had in the states to ensure that the
campaign went down to the grass roots through traditional institutions
and authorities.
It was learnt that although flights from
Syria and Iraq hardly came into Nigeria, especially since the crisis in
the countries, passengers from the Middle East nations were under
surveillance.
An official with the Federal Airports
Authority of Nigeria, who pleaded anonymity, said, “Nothing seems to be
impossible nowadays but if they (ISIS) are in Nigeria, they must have
passed through our land borders, which are porous. We have however
increased the intensity of our passenger screening.”
A top aviation security officer, who
also pleaded anonymity, said, “Apart from the regular screening through
the security doors and bomb detectors, we monitor movements and gestures
of travellers.
“Any move that is unusual will be checked immediately.”
Speaking further on the visa ban on
Nigerians who wish to travel to the Middle-East, another top security
officer said, “There is the issue of recruitment of terrorists within
the country as shown by the story of the 13-year-old suicide bomber in
Kano, whose father was said to have forced her into the act.
“The security agencies have issued a visa refusal request to embassies to prevent Nigerians from travelling to such countries.
“The situation now is such that if you
are a Nigerian and you try to get a visa from anywhere to those
countries, you will attract serious suspicion and you would be
questioned rigorously.
“It may be possible in some cases for
you to travel without visa within Africa but it is impossible for you to
travel outside the continent without one.”
The Syrian Embassy could not be reached
for comments as calls made to the mission’s mobile line failed to
connect. Also, an email to the embassy did not elicit any response.
Efforts to get the Iraqi embassy to
speak on its alleged visa restrictions to Nigerians was abortive.
Repeated calls to the embassy mobile line went unanswered. An email that
was sent to its mail box, failed to deliver.
Caution your children, Military tells parents
The Director, Defence Information,
Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, has urged parents and organisations in the
country to observe a high degree of vigilance to foil any plot by
terrorist groups to recruit unsuspecting youths to carry out their
activities.
He said, “All parents and organisations
in the country must maintain a high degree of vigilance against the plot
and caution the youths against getting involved.
“The security agencies are already on
the watch to frustrate the evil design. No information will be ignored;
all hands must equally be on deck.”
A top government official, who spoke to
one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said Omeri’s
statement should make Nigerians be on the alert.
He said the alert was necessary, following the discovery that ISIS was recruiting from African countries through the Internet.
He added that the government felt it was
necessary to warn Nigerians, especially the youths, so that they don’t
fall into terrorists’ trap unknowingly.
The government official said, “What the
Defence Department has done is a trend analysis of what is happening. It
is on the basis of this that they are advising parents to be vigilant
and to educate their children not to fall into the trap of the
terrorists and get recruited without knowing what it is all about.”
Efforts to know what the Department of
State Services was doing to thwart the alleged moves by ISIS to recruit
Nigerians did not succeed as calls to its spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar,
were not responded to.
No comments:
Post a Comment