ISWAP training suicide bombers to attack northeast — DSS

Through its Adamawa State Division, the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday claimed that the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) group is training suicide bombers to attack security agencies and vulnerable communities in the Northeast.

DSS Director in the Division, Babagana Bulama, who raised the alarm, said the department got the plan through available intelligence that the suicide bombers is aimed at carrying out a deadly attack soon.

He spoke at the 2022 1st Zonal Quarterly Conference of State Directors of Security, Northeast region in Maiduguri, Borno State, he said the elements of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) who fled Mali following increased military pressure from Russian mercenaries have entered Nigeria’s territory to support ISWAP terrorist activities.

Bulama explained that the Northeast Zone has continued to be confronted by a wide range of security issues, adding that kidnappers and bandits have persistently exploited the vast ungoverned spaces especially mountains and forests in the states of the zone, as hideouts from where they carry out their nefarious activities.

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 Northwest and Northcentral zones, where they were dislodged by security forces.” (The Nation)