We are aware of Al-Qaeda penetrating North-west, says DHQ

The Defence Headquarters says it is aware of the warning by the US intelligence of Al-Qaeda, ISIS terrorist groups infiltrating North-west of Nigeria.

John Enenche, Coordinator, Defence Headquarters Media Operations, speaking to newsmen at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday said the alert by the US is “as old as maybe five or ten years”.

He said there was no call for alarm and urged Nigerians to go about their legitimate businesses without fear of being harassed.

In his words: “Our attention being drawn to the fact that terrorists from other zones are coming here, I think it would be good for us to be keeping records of events as they unfold.

“For me this is not the first time they are raising such an alarm,the alarm is as old as maybe five or ten years ago and the armed forces and the country is conscious of it.

“When the conflict in Libya was declared officially that it ended, which did not end what happened? It was we, our NIA, state service and all that raised the information that this people are moving.

“Have we not captured foreigners among the people that have been terrorizing us in this country?

“So it is just like a call to keep doing what you are doing, so the general public should know that the security agencies are on top of that one.

“Recently we captured some in Niger state from our neigboring country, where are they coming from? Why do we have ISAWP here now, was ISWAP indigenous to Nigeria, No!

“So it’s just like telling you the obvious. And I want to take like an advice to continue to ensure you have measures in place to continue checking them.

“When it came out alot of people read the headlines but I went into the detail presented. It was not accusive, it was not specific like saying ; you people should put effort to continue to contain them, because pressure is put on them in other areas, they would increase their influx.

“There is no doubt that we already have that challenge as far back as when they war in Libya was declared, and even in Iraq. It’s just like a wake up call, which is readily welcome, all the security agencies have that at the back of their plan and they factor it in implementation.

“The general public should not be afraid of that at all. It’s not a new thing, it’s already in our schedule of activity.”