No Evidence ISIS Is Linked With Boko Haram – FG

Days after it was reported that militant sect, boko haram
had pledged allegiance with Islamic States of Iraq and
Syria, the Federal Government via the Coordinator of the
National Information Centre, Mike Omeri, said yesterday it
does not have any evidence yet linking Boko Haram with
the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Omeri said this while who speaking with reporters with
other security chiefs, said it was an act of desperation by
the Boko Haram sect to be identifying with the ISIS.
“It can best be described as an act of sympathy and
desperation by the sect to be identifying with ISIS; it is
unacceptable.
“We wish to state that there is no evidence that the IS
operates in Nigeria and the latest attempt by Boko Haram to
identify with the group is an act of desperation aimed at
seeking attention and possible assistance from outside in
the face of the crushing defeat they are suffering in the
hands of the Nigerian Armed Forces and other regional
collaborators.
“The fact of the matter is that Nigeria and her neighbours
are pushing the insurgents away from their strongholds,
capturing many of them and destroying several of their
facilities,” he said.
Omeri added that the government would do everything
within its powers to sustain the fight against Boko Haram
while also striving to get back the remaining lost territories.
His words: “We wish to assure Nigerians that this tempo
will be sustained until every presence of Boko Haram
insurgency is totally obliterated in Nigeria.
“The only nation that will exist in Nigeria is a united Federal
Republic of Nigeria, which demands the cooperation,
commitment and patriotism of all its citizens,” he said.
On the clampdown on Maiduguri and other targets, Omeri
urged members of the public to remain very vigilant in
public and business places as well as motor parks.
He said: “In our previous alerts to the nation, we warned of
the possibility that fleeing members of the insurgent group
would resort to attacking communities and other soft
targets on their way.
“We continue to urge Nigerians to exercise extra-vigilance,
especially at this period when our security forces continue
to fish out members of the group who might have been
embedded in the society, and whose activities have given
rise to the recent bombing incidents within Maiduguri and
other locations in the Northeast zone.
“The Federal Government strongly reminds all Nigerians to
exercise more scrutiny of persons and movements,
especially within their areas of business and worship.
“Motor-park and market managers must step up the level of
security within their business premises, while religious
authorities need to put in place more effective security
cordon around places of worship to ensure the safety of the
adherents,” he said.
Omeri added that as the protocols guiding the various
regional co-operations and alliances continue to
materialise, Nigerian military forces, with the assistance of
the nation’s neighbours, have continued to record more
successes in the recovery and liberation of more locations
in Yobe, Borno and Adamawa states.
He said the territories, which have been retaken since
Friday, include Marte, Mafa and Damasak (Borno State) as
well as Buni Yadi, headquarters of Gujba Local Government
Area and Buni Gari, Yobe State, bringing the number of
towns recovered to 36.
Omeri added that field reports indicated that Nigerian
soldiers were determined to clear Boko Haram from the
entire zone in a short while.
He praised the efforts of Nigeria’s allies from Chad, Niger
and Cameroun for putting in place measures to cut-off the
supply lines of the terrorists.
The coordinator hoped that the unfolding regional
cooperation would hasten the total defeat and
extermination of Boko Haram from the sub-region.