Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu
May 31, 2021
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has stated that the merger of Boko Haram with ISWAP has become a bigger threat, not only to Nigeria, Lake Chad Basin but to Sub-Saharan Africa and the whole of West Africa is tackling this together.
Boko Haram launched series of attacks in the northeast in 2009 after its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, who was captured by the military authorities died in police custody.
In 2014, the group pledged its allegiance to the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) and has targeted military formations, civilians, religious centers among others.
Shehu, who spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics said, “What we are seeing today is that the Boko Haram that we knew has virtually disappeared and has merged to a bigger threat – ISWAP that is funded and financed by the Libyan Army and alliances that have been formed including Iraq.”
“ISWAP being funded by the remnants of the Libyan Army in collaboration with Iraq and Iran is a challenge not only to Nigeria, Lake Chad Basin but to the Sub-Saharan region, and the whole of West Africa is tackling this together”, he said.
When asked if Nigeria is in a safer place to live in before President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, the Presidential spokesman replied in the positive.
Shehu said since his principal was inaugurated as President in 2015, he has taken adequate measures in tackling several threats, including the farmers/herders clashes.
The country has been battling terrorism for more than a decade which has killed at least 36,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands in the northeast.
Nigeria’s jihadist violence has spread to neighbouring Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.
