Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has urged security agencies in the country not to treat the rumours that Boko Haram terrorists were recruiting members from Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps in the North East with levity but to urgently investigate the issue, Vanguard reports.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki said it had become necessary for the intelligence outfits to take such rumours seriously, with the aim of curtailing the untoward development.
“Seeing that ISIS has recruited members from European refugee camps, and the Kenyan government recently had to shut down the world’s largest refugee camp because Al-Shaabab was using the place to train and recruit young people as extremists, it is important that we take the rumours about Boko Haram’s recruitment from IDP camps seriously,” he said.
The Senate President further reiterated his call for a more holistic investigation of alleged diversion of materials meant for the IDPs last week.
News24 previously reported that the Nigerian Army has uncovered plans by Boko Haram to bomb locations in Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Kebbi, Bauchi, Katsina, Imo, Yobe and Borno states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
According to an intelligence document, the terrorists’ targets include markets, schools, police stations and formations, prison facilities as well as the just re-opened schools in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States.
The document (AHQ DATOPS/G3/240/225/3), marked “Secret”, was signed by Colonel B. Suleiman on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff. Dated 5 August 2016 and distributed to the headquarters of 1 and 2 Division of the Army, the document said the Army Headquarters is in possession of information that strongly points to a wave of Boko Haram attacks in the aforementioned locations and other parts of the country.
