The State Security Service (SSS) says terrorist group, Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), is training suicide bombers in the North-East.

Babagana Bulama, the SSS Director incharge of Adamawa, stated this at the 2022 1st Zonal Quarterly Conference of State Directors of Security, North-East region, on Thursday in Maiduguri.

“Although, attacks by the insurgents in parts of the zone recently reduced owing to counter terrorism operations by security forces,” Mr Bulama noted, he, however said “available intelligence has indicated that ISWAP are training suicide bombers with a view to carryout deadly attacks on security agencies and vulnerable communities.”

The intelligence chief reiterated the commitment of the Service towards ensuring national security inline with its statutory mandate. He added that achieving national security requires teamwork and inter agency collaboration.

Mr Bulama further disclosed that elements of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) were converging within Nigerian territory in the Lake Chad area.

“These terrorists who fled Mali following increased military pressure from Russian mercenaries, see the Lake Chad area as safe haven and apparently, have come to support ISWAP to continue its terrorists activities.

“Furthermore, kidnappers and bandits have persistently exploited the vast ungoverned spaces (mountains and forests) in the zone as hideouts from where they carry out their nefarious activities.

“Investigations indicated that some of these criminal elements came from the North West and North Central zones where they were dislodged by security forces,” Mr Bulama added.

While noting that farmers/herders conflict had subsided due to completion of harvest by farmers, Mr Bulama, however, said that there were still threats of confrontations between irrigation farmers and herders in riverine communities, especially in Adamawa and Taraba states due to struggle for water and pasture.

He further highlighted the collaboration between Ambazonian rebels in neighbouring Cameroon and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) among others that could unsettle relative peace in border communities in Adamawa and Taraba States.

Governor Babagana Zulum, represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Hussaini Marte, said the state government accorded priority to security, adding that the government would continue to support and collaborate with security agencies to enable them to succeed in discharging their constitutional mandates.

The Joint Theatre Commander, “Operation Hadin Kai,” Maj.-Gen. Christopher Musa and other representative of security agencies, lauded the effective roles being played by the SSS towards successful operations in the fight against insurgency and other crimes in North-East and the country at large.

They pledged commitment to collaborate with the Service for more positive results. 

NAN