ISWAP is training suicide bombers to attack security agents - DSS
An alarm has been raised by the Department of State Services that members of the Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) are training their members to carry out deadly suicide bombings against security agencies and vulnerable communities.
The DSS further revealed that elements of the Islamic state in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) are in the Lake Chad region. These insurgents fled Mali after superior military power from Russian Mercenaries. They are now in the Nigerian Territory pledging their support for ISWAP terrorist activities.
This information was disclosed on Thursday, March 3 2022 by Babagana Bulama during the Zonal Quarterly Conference of State Directors of Security (SDES) held in Maiduguri the Borno State Capital.
According to Bulama who is also the DSS Director in Adamawa state, the vast ungoverned spaces, especially in the mountains and forest of the state provide a wide range of security issues for the North East Zone. These vast ungoverned spaces have become hideouts where the bandits carry out their nefarious activities.
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He said;
“The most prominent of these security challenges in the zone are terrorism and insurgency, occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram terrorists and its splinter Islamic State West Africa Province ISWAP which have over the time left an indelible mark in the zone, in terms of security and development.
“Although attacks by the Insurgents in parts of the zone recently have reduced, owing to counter-terrorism operations by security forces, available intelligence has indicated that ISWAP is training suicide bombers with a view to carrying out deadly attacks on security agencies and vulnerable communities.
“Most worrisome is recent intelligence on the convergence of elements of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in the Lake Chad area, within Nigerian territory. These terrorists who fled Mali following increased military pressure from Russian mercenaries, see the Lake Chad areas as save heaven and apparently have come to support ISWAP to continue its terrorist activities.
“Investigation indicates that some of these criminals' elements come from the North West and North Central zones, where they were dislodged by security forces.”
Bulama also revealed that farmers/herders conflict has reduced within the last quarter due to the completion of harvest by farmers. He further disclosed that the current Sub-Saharan threat profile is youth restiveness. This threat is seen in the activities of groups and gangs such as Kalare in Gombe, Sara-Suka in Bauchi, Marlian and Azonto gangs in Taraba, and Shilla Boys in Adamawa.
He concluded by saying that "unemployment and idleness amongst youths in the zone have greatly been responsible for their easy recruitment into activities inimical to law and order".
