THE Department of State Service (DSS), has confirmed that there are plans to destabilise Nigeria by highly placed persons.
The Commander of the US special operations command, Africa, Dagvin Anderson, had warned that Al-Qaeda was expanding to other parts of West Africa.
Anderson in a virtual media briefing, said, “We have engaged with Nigeria and continue to engage with them in intel sharing and in understanding what these violent extremists are doing,
“And that has been absolutely critical to their engagements up in the Borno state and into an emerging area of northwest Nigeria that we’re seeing al-Qaeda starting to make some inroads in.
“So, this intelligence sharing is absolutely vital and we stay fully engaged with the government of Nigeria to provide them with an understanding of what these terrorists are doing, what Boko Haram is doing, what ISIS-West Africa is doing, and how ISIS and al-Qaeda are looking to expand further south into the littoral areas.
“Anderson regretted that despite successes recorded in previous years, there has been a setback, adding:
“We as a community of international nations, keep thinking we have defeated them or we have put them on their back foot and that they’re just moments from disintegration,”
Anderson said for international efforts to yield desired results in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria, the government must take the lead.
“When it comes to Nigeria in general, Nigeria, obviously, is a critical nation to West Africa.
“It is a critical nation, and we realise that Nigeria is a lynchpin.”
Just few days ago, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Obadiah Mailafiya had alleged that one of the governors of the states in Northern Nigeria is the leader of Boko Haram terrorist group.
DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanaya, in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja, said, Mailafiya’’s statement was aimed at playing to the gallery and creating unnecessary tension.
“This is a confirmation of his group’s desperation to breach the peace.
“Mailafiya, as a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and currently, a Directing Staff at Nigeria’s foremost Policy Research Institute, the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, has unhindered access to government platforms.
“It is expected that he should be conversant with official information management protocols.
“But regrettably, he chose to cross the lines of decorum and conduct expected of a personality of his status.
“It is disappointing that he never took advantage of these to reach any of the security or related agencies to share the so-called information at his disposal.
“This, he has agreed to be a grievous error on his part.
“It, however, suggests his mischief and determination to use the fake news he spewed to incite the people under his control.
“It is even more condemnable that Mailafiya, who had profusely apologized during his visit to the Service’s Plateau State Command for his ignoble statement, would, afterwards, announce to the world that he stood by his misguided eruption,” DSS said, adding that “it would not stand idly and watch disgruntled and aggrieved elements take the law into their hands and cause mayhem in the polity.”
