[size=14pt]An al-Qaida offshoot in Nigeria a rising threat to U.S. and its allies[/size]
By Segun Adeoye
September 11, 2011

The killing of Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaida, by a team of U.S. military SEALs dealt a huge blow to the terror group's operations, but groups sympathetic to its goals have continued to sprawl unabated, even in Africa, and especially Nigeria, which has not been considered a hotbed for global terrorism acttivities.

Up in the northeastern part of Nigeria, the jihadist activities of the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, an extremist Islamic group whose ideology is fueled by those of al-Qaida, has grown since 2002, when it began to establish its presence in the region. In the international community, the group is known simply as "Boko Haram" — a name that speaks to forbidding the establishment and propagation of Western education, culture, and, by extension, freedom and democracy — the same ideals al-Qaida fights against.

The rise of Boko Haram is yet another warning signal to the West. Because it demonstrates how quickly an al-Qaida offshoot can spwan, develop andultimately present a threat to the "host" country as well as the United States and its allies.

Their activities immediately sent a chill down the spines of the Nigerian state authorities and the people in the community, which dubbed the group "Nigerian Taliban." From Kanama, the desert town where the group had its base, Boko Haram in 2003 pushed further into major cities, including Maiduguri and Damaturu, the capital cities of Borno and Yobe states, respectively. It grew with one message — to kill any "unbeliever" in uniform, and a call to "rise up for Jihad."

It took a concerted effort by the Nigerian army to quell their activities, and to restore relative calm. That was in 2003, and since then the group has metamorphosed from about 70 Islamic extremists into a force that is gaining ground, numbers and momentum. In doing so, it has introduced into Nigerian society a style of operation hitherto unheard of — the suicide bombing.

In June, barely a month after the country's inspector-general of police, Hafiz Ringim, boasted of his resolve and commitment to root out the terrorist sect, the group executed a suicide bombing attack at the police headquarters in Abuja, the country's capital. Hafiz Ringim was the target — and he barely escaped. But three people were killed, property was destroyed and the country's security apparatus suffered a major embrrassment.

Just last month, a suicide car bomber blew up the United Nations compound in Abuja. That attack killed 16 people, and it served notice on Nigeria — and the international community.

It's such a lapse in security that al-Qaida capitalizes on, in order to spread its tentacles through such affiliate groups like Boko Haram, and other similar groups across the Sahara desert, which encompasses Mauritania, Mali, Republic of Niger, and Morocco.

Generally, Boko Haram seems to be targeting those segments of society the terrorists believe have inclination to Western values and lifestyles. Northern politicians have also been targets of the group, as well as churches, political groups, and pretty much anyone perceived to be working with the state against those who believe Sharia Law cannot be the law of the land.

The littany of gruesome attacks executed by Boko Haram have left Nigerians terrorized as, between 2009 and 2011, the group executed attacks that led to deaths of hundreds of people.

On July 11, for example, the University of Maiduguri in Borno State was closed down due to security concerns over possible attacks. A day before, the All Christian Fellowship Church in Suleija, Niger State, also in the northern part of the country, was bombed, leading to the deaths of two people. Seven days earlier, 20 people were killed after a bombing attack by the sect at a beer garden in Maiduguri. When its members besieged the Maiduguri jail, they succeeded in setting free about 700 inmates.

The series of bombings that took place in several states across the country on May 29, the day the current president, Goodluck Jonathan, had his inauguration, all had the imprints of Boko Haram's style of attack.

Ironically, all this follows the second anniversary of the killing of Boko Haram's leader, Mohammed Yusuf, on July 30, 2009, while in police custody. Yusuf was believed to have received financial assistance from an al-Qaida group in Sudan, which allowed him to recruit young men to his organization.

The killing of Yusuf, however, raised more questions than answers. While on the surface, his death can be taken as good riddance, the circumstances — he was unarmed and reportedly posed no threat when he was shot dead — raise suspicions.

Some believe that the summary execution of Yusuf was a premeditated act to silence him from exposing some supporters and financiers of his group, even within Nigeria. Speculation that highly-placed individuals in the country are giving covert support to the group receives more weight considering the fact that members of the group have, after his death, remained emboldened. In fact, the sect recently demanded an apology from the former governor of Borno, Ali Modu Sheriff, whose term ended on May 29. And in a show of solidarity, buoyed by "peace and brotherhood," Sheriff obliged.

"I wish to publicly tender my apology to the Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad," he wrote in his apology made public to the press. "It is human to err, but divine to forgive."

Where might the support come from? It is common for wealthy individuals in the country to make donations to Koranic schools. Plus, the high prevalence of chronic poverty in the region has made young minds to be fertile grounds for planting Islamic extremist views, like those of al-Qaida.

The grave concern is that a formidable al-Qaida sleeper cell is gradually gaining roots across sub-Saharan Africa. The porous Nigerian borders have made it a ready haven for sympathizers to the views of Boko Haram, who are quick to exploit security lapses in the country. Revelations that some arrested members of the sect were Somalis have also added credibility to suspected links to Islamic extremist groups in Somalia. Some members of Boko Haram are believed to have undergone training in Somalia.

Until recently, activities of the group have been in the northeastern region of the country. But its avowed opposition to Western lifestyle, and support for Sharia Law in place of state law, has seen it extend its activities down south, including the suicide bombing of the police headquarters in Abuja.

So far, there has been little sign of success in efforts by the Nigerian authorities to clamp down on the sect. One major obstacle has been the lack of cooperation among locals in providing information about the group's hideouts, for fear of being attacked. Such fears are not misplaced, as there have been attacks on Islamic clerics who dared to criticize the sect for its extreme Islamic views.

The creeping destabilization of the region, no doubt, portends grave danger to the war on terror, and by extension, the global economy. Speculation is rife that the sect might launch attacks on the country's oil facilities, which increasingly are important to the United States.

Nigeria ranks seventh among the top oil producing countries, with about 2,172 barrels produced per day as of this year, according to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. Nigeria is an OPEC member. Apart from this, with a population of 150 million people, the country is unquestionably the largest market for investment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Americans may not closely follow what happens in Africa or Nigeria. But that doesn't make Nigeria any less a growing battlefront in the global war on terror.

Ironically, the rise of Boko Haram comes as the threat from another militant group dwindles. In the oil-producing southeast, a group calling itself the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has in recent times disrupted oil production. In response, the Nigerian government ended up difusing the tension, in part, with an amnesty program aimed at disarming members of the group, in return for money and vocational training for unschooled youth. The process has brought about relative calm in the Niger Delta region.

The rigid, belligerent ideology of the Boko Haram sect has, however, made it difficult for the Nigeria authorities to adopt a similar approach. The sect believes the country is being ruled by "unbelievers."

So, Nigeria, a country only half a century old and one still experimenting with a democratic system is now been thrust into the spotlight, as a result of the growing influence of Boko Haram. The international community is increasingly concerned and watches closely to see if the country does not turn out to be a fertile base for al-Qaida.

So do Nigerians.

Segun Adeoye is a journalist in Nigeria. He spent five months in the Sun Sentinel newsroom as part of the Alfred Friendly Press Fellowship program.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/outlook/fl-boko-haram-nigeria-segun-0911-20110911,0,6487886.story

Spare us the War on Terror talk becos we have long awaited the return of the master to claim his price.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-746402.0.html

beaf you need to get and listen to PASTOR LADI THOMSPON'S RECENT INTERVIEW WITH CHANNELS to know that there are deeper issues to these bombings

Sharia was first introduced in Nigeria to checkmate Obasanjo, in the same way boko haram was taken over by powerful core-Northern forces out of bitterness at the loss of the 2011 elections.

With its its new links to al qaeda, boko haram has however become a monster set to swallow its political masters. Their calculation has totally backfired, and now, instead of putting pressure on GEJ, they have put pressure on themselves, it is certain now that no core-Northerner will ever rule Nigeria again until Islamic extremism has been totally brought under control in the country.
The bombing of the UN has awoken the World to the facts of extremist Islam and al qaeda's presence in Nigeria. Make no mistake about it, Nigeria's political landscape will never be the same again; boko haram has spooked the powers and their scorched earth reaction to attack is well known.

At this time, I pity any core-Northern politician or office holder with the slightest right-wing tendencies. I strongly pity the likes of Buhari.

asha 80:

beaf you need to get and listen to PASTOR LADI THOMSPON'S RECENT INTERVIEW WITH CHANNELS to know that there are deeper issues to these bombings

how can we get this interview? listened to him talk once about terrorism in nigeria and the guy was deeeep!

df2006:

how can we get this interview? listened to him talk once about terrorism in nigeria and the guy was deeeep!

to be honest not sure.i have gone to youtube and channelstv website to get the latest interview he granted channels that i recently watched but to no avail.i am sure the one you watched was the one he was comment striclty on the jos crises some long months ago.

Beaf, for real, what do you stand for? Do you have any shame? Seriously dude, you need to reevaluate your life. You can't keep living like this,man.

Chyz*:

Beaf, for real, what do you stand for? Do you have any shame? Serious dude, you need to reevaluate your life. You can keep living like this,man.

Reevaluate what? Are you an al qaeda agent?

Benefits of Odechukwu Jonathans rule

Beaf:


At this time, I pity any core-Northern politician or office holder with the slightest right-wing tendencies. I strongly pity the likes of Buhari.

Ayatollah Buhari Bin Laden of the Lost Elections fame deserves ZERO pity, Sensei Beaf. Buhari threatened and then perpetrated genocide when he realized that his unblemished electoral losing streak would continue forever. Hundreds if not thousands of innocent Nigerians have been slaughtered on Buhari's direct orders, so hopefully an overdue arrest warrant will be issued before long by the International Court of Justice, so that the failed Jihadist Buhari Bin Laden can rot away the rest of his worthless existence behind the locked steel doors of a cold cell in The Hague.

NL is freezing any negative post on Ngozi Okonjo Iweala

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=755633.msg9111147#msg9111147
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-755765.0.html

Chyz*:

Let me try to understand your way of reasoning, are you saying it is wrong for the SE to complain of not having an equal amount of states as the rest of the zones?

are you equal to others?lol

so if we are eating from the same plate when aboki chop meat yibbo too wan chop meat. you feeful are funny. just keep to your buying and selling. that is your portion.

let ya senior brodas deal with the more serious issues

no be small battle field oh. may God Almighty help us all

iwonbaoko1:

are you equal to others?lol

so if we are eating from the same plate when aboki chop meat yibbo too wan chop meat. you feeful are funny. just keep to your buying and selling. that is your portion.

let ya senior brodas deal with the more serious issues

boring throw some harder punches monkey common is that all? you got no game men bush man

NO, the westerners are fucking broke and they need resources to balance their ECONOMY,all this al qeada is scam.ppl need to soji themself,most of our goverment officials are grade A dude.

Chyz*:

Beaf, for real, what do you stand for? Do you have any shame? Seriously dude, you need to reevaluate your life. You can't keep living like this,man.

What has he done? Why do people suffer so much esteem issues? if you cant be him, then quit hating. He might be wrong but he has positive analytical mind.

God Help naija

Jonathan is american's puppet,so he does anything they dictate to him.so I don't see america waging any war against nigeria in as much as their oil supply is not threatened by boko haram.

babaowo:

NO, the westerners are bleeping broke and they need resources to balance their ECONOMY,all this al qeada is scam.ppl need to soji themself,most of our goverment officials are grade A dude.

go tell that to the families of those that have died in different bombings in the north this yr alone not to talk of last year or are those people dying also film trick?

Break this union

African Soil has been infiltrated already, so vulnerable that anybody can come here and do whatever they like and get away.

The African Leaders/UN supporting war against African countries in attacks/looting is the biggest mistake they have ever made


Now i look around and i'm laughing at our defenselessness, Only God will save Africa from TERRORISTS and TERRORBREeDERS , some people will understand me i don't expect every one to,

I also watched the interview with Pastor Ladi Thompson, please read his closing remarks below. The man is very deep and knows a lot about the terrorism in Nigeria

"If the federal government refuses to handle the present terror effectively, this might the last president of the federal republic of Nigeria "

i have warned in a previous thread on the dangers Nigeria faces from western tricks and schemes.all this boko haram nonsense could be a plot by the west to execute their plans in nigeria.the entire boko haram nonsense may be an invention by america to use as a channel to manipulate things in nigeria and cause chaos among nigerians who already hate themselves.nigerians should be careful.

i have raised this issue in my posts in the thread below on page #3:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=750714.msg9069153#msg9069153

thankfully enough someone just opened a thread warning about the same western drive to dominate other countries especially countries with resources particularly oil:

"Western Regime Change Strategy For Mineral Resources I.e. Oil, Gas, Gold Etc":
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-746402.0.html#msg9113770

Onyocha:

i have warned in a previous thread on the dangers Nigeria faces from western tricks and schemes.all this boko haram nonsense could be a plot by the west to execute their plans in nigeria.the entire boko haram nonsense may be an invention by america to use as a channel to manipulate things in nigeria and cause chaos among nigerians who already hate themselves.nigerians should be careful.

i have raised this issue in my posts in the thread below on page #3:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=750714.msg9069153#msg9069153

thankfully enough someone just opened a thread warning about the same western drive to dominate other countries especially countries with resources particularly oil:

"Western Regime Change Strategy For Mineral Resources I.e. Oil, Gas, Gold Etc":
https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-746402.0.html#msg9113770

You're a simpleton,the US already buys most of its oil from Nigeria,do you think they would protect it or damage it??

Nigeria will not break up. There'll be more bombings in Nigeria in the future and more boko harams and innocents will die as a result of troop deployments. If the bokos are wise, they'll just forget the whole thing because all they'll get for their efforts is death. Bokos have only united Southerners, Northerners, Muslims and Christians against them.

ACTUALLY the US buys most of their oil from canada.
depends on how you define "destroy" one man's destroy is another's reconfigure

These half witted know it alls on nairaland with their one track minds of "hate everything about US" really,really gets old.Seriously, .The US gets MORE crude oil from Nigeria THAN Saudi Arabia, how in the freaking world do you come up with the lame concept that they would all of a sudden destroy their "Golden goose", some of you dim-wits like the slowpoke I replied to,don't apply reasoning to anything involving the simple knowlegde of how geo-politics works.

Your brain is clearly brainwashed by Al-jazeera and all the other anti west media, or you are just to f, oolish to process the simple dynamics that exist between Nigeria and the US.

it is just a difference of opinion. are you GOD. because someone sees the world differently does not make them a dimwit and you a genius. your abuse does not illuminate the subject but tells a lot about you. if you were president and people disagreed with you will you shoot them?
it is very possible to apply reason and come to opposite conclusions?no?

There are already US companies contracting in the Nigerian oil industry , so just how in your little mind do you think that they can automaticllay take over the NNPC and just pump a soveriegn country's oil without consent, you must be d, umber than I thought, this did not happen in Iraq, its not happening in Libya(US doesn't buy Libyan oil) and it has never happened in the history of US conflict in any region, anywhere in the world.

This thread is just ignorant and fact-less anyway, and it's sure to attract the bottom dreg slugs of nairaland, like yourself.

kabukabu50:

There are already US companies contracting in the Nigerian oil industry , so just how in your little mind do you think that they can automaticllay take over the NNPC and just pump a soveriegn country's oil without consent, you must be d, umber than I thought, this did not happen in Iraq, its not happening in Libya(US doesn't buy Libyan oil) and it has never happened in the history of US conflict in any region, anywhere in the world.

This thread is just ignorant and fact-less anyway, and it's sure to attract the bottom dreg slugs of nairaland, like yourself.

this atlanta thug is still around ? eku thuggery sir. wessideeeeee

kabukabu50:


You're a simpleton,the US already buys most of its oil from Nigeria,do you think they would protect it or damage it??

not another illiterate . you could at least get your facts checjed over the net

buzugee:

this atlanta thug is still around ? eku thuggery sir. wessideeeeee

Who says, wessideeee anymore?

You've been watching too many MTV videos. , and besides where do Lagos area boys have time to watch MTV, between strong arming innocent citizens and thrusting their hips at pre pubescent young girls.