THE AL QAEDA NETWORK IN NIGERIA

We are publishing the confession of a former Nigerian revolutionary who does not want all radical militant activists fighting against injustice to be called terrorists.
"We are freedom fighters. It is wrong to call us terrorists."

We cannot reveal his identity. And we are also publishing the comprehensive reports on the dangerous developments in Nigeria indicating the existence of an Al Qaeda Network in the Northern region of Nigeria, from 2002 to date.

THE CONFESSION OF A

REPENTANT SUICIDE BOMBER.

Osama bin Laden sets eyes on Nigeria.

The Islamists in Nigeria.

Osama bin Laden cites Nigeria in one of his recent announcements.

THE CONFESSION OF A REPENTANT SUICIDE BOMBER

I am alive today, because I changed my mind.
God saved my life.

It was on the 5th of July last year, and we could have done what would have been the worst catastrophic terrorist attack in the history of Nigeria since the civil war. And it was very easy. But I was depressed. I thought of the grave consequences. I was troubled. But, I did not let the others around me to know what was wrong. I was smiling and pretending that all was well. But that was far from the truth.

There is no security in Nigeria. I have passed through the security barriers of the most important military headquarters in Nigeria. And it took me five months to break through their security barriers. I worked with my girlfriends to befriend these high ranking Nigerian military officers who cannot resist the temptations of sexy looking young college students. They salivate at the first sight of a beautiful and voluptuous young lady. And I had so many of them. But the girls never knew about my ulterior motives, because I always played the fool- a perfect disguise. And the military officers let their guards down. These randy military officers will do anything for sex. And they were all married.

I will not mention names here for security reasons.

Now coming to the US Embassy on the Victoria Island in Lagos, Nigeria. It is well situated near the lagoon. So there is a direct sea route. But, the security there is like the security provided for any ordinary military base. The security is only good to check visitors and strangers. The front of the building is well secured. But, unfortunately the back is like a sitting duck. Terrorists could hit the US Embassy from the back at anytime any day.

There is a refuse disposal truck coming to the embassy every week, and that could be hijacked on the way to the embassy and before the security officers at the gate could detect anything, the embassy would have been blown to rubble within seconds.
The embassy could also be hit with an ordinary rocket propelled missile from across the Lagos lagoon. So, the US Embassy is a sitting duck waiting to be hit anytime.

In short, there is no security in Nigeria that can prevent terrorist attacks.
But, I have repented and decided to eschew all acts of violence.
But, all the others in the network don’t know this.

SHARIA LAW THREATENS NIGERIA'S STABILITY

Major New Freedom House Report Finds Africa's Largest Nation Faces Rapid Spread of Extreme Islamic Law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Paul Marshall, (202) 296-5101 ext. 126

WASHINGTON, DC, March 27, 2002.

As Nigeriaproceeds to sentence a second woman to death by stoning under a northern states' controversial sharia law, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom today released a major report documenting the brutal and destabilizing effects of the growth of extremist sharia, Islamic law, in Nigeria. The101-page report, entitled," The Talibanization of Nigeria: Sharia Law and Religious Freedom," finds profound violations of human rights and religious freedom, which undermine Nigeria's democratization-process.

"The March 25 decision not to stone a woman to deathfor adultery was based only on a technicality and does nothing to reverse or moderate sharia," stated Dr. Paul Marshall, Senior Fellow at Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom. The Talibanization of Nigeria is based on research in several countries and a fact-finding mission to Nigeria, led by Dr.Marshall who interviewed religious leaders,government officials, human rights activists, and victims of religious discrimination throughout Nigeria. The report warns that if left unchecked, sharia's further spread could provoke widespread inter-religious conflict, and transform Nigeria, Africa's largest nation, into a center of radicalIslamism, linked to foreign radical groups and governments. Currently, 12 of Nigeria's 36 states have adopted or intend to adopt sharia. "The enforcement of extreme sharia violates all human rights, especially religious freedom, and destabilizes this already fragile country," said Dr.Marshall. The report proposes policy recommendations to the U.S. and Nigerian governments to prevent thispivotal African nation from sliding into lawlessness and terror, like Afghanistan under the Taliban. Many of Nigeria's Muslim and non-Muslim citizens face barbaric treatment from Hizbah (religious enforcers). Hizbah vigilantes mete out harsh,on-the-spot, extra-legal punishments for such"un-Islamic" activities as violating dress codes and questioning Islamic teachings. Women caught riding alone in taxis are subject to physical abuse by the Hizbah. In May 2001, an Islamic court in Katsina State ordered the removal the left eye of Ahmed Tijjani, who was found guilty of partially blinding a friend during an argument. Two months later in Birnin-Kebbi, a sharia court ordered 15-year-old Abubakar Aliyu's hand amputated for stealing the equivalent of $300. But, Dr. Marshall emphasizes that the effect on human rights is far more profound and far wider than the matter of inhuman treatment. As the following examples show, Nigeria's new sharia undermines basic human rights: Sharia is imposed on all Muslims even if they want to be tried in a constitutionally mandated court, thus subverting Nigeria's democratic order; Sharia legitimizes the killing of Muslims who exercise their right to change their religion; Sharia results in corporal punishment or death sentences for women for alleged sexual crimes,whereas men are invariably not punished; Non-Muslims are barred from being judges,prosecutors, and lawyers in the sharia courts to which they can be subject, thus making them second-class citizens.Though some form of sharia has long been part of Nigeria's civil law, some Nigerian states are expanding sharia jurisdiction to criminal law matters in ways that violate Nigeria's constitution and international human rights standards. The report cites the deaths of as many as 6,000 Christians, Muslims and others, many hacked to death with knives and swords, in conflicts precipitated by the new laws. Restrictions on the construction of churches have increased and dozens of churches inthe northern sharia states have been destroyed. Dr.Marshall said "The West should be aware that extreme sharia in Nigeria creates widespread persecution of the churches and violently polarizes the Christian and Muslim communities." The report concludes that if left unchecked, the rapid spread of extreme sharia law could push Nigeria into civil war. Already torn by ethnic and religious conflict, and with a history of military dictatorship, Nigeria has only recently embarked on a democratic path, albeit tentatively. The report indicates that while there is no evidence that terrorist groups allied with Al Qaeda are operating in Nigeria, the country is experiencing the rapid growth of the type of Islamic extremism from which Bin Laden has drawn support. There are indications that this growth is being supported by foreign radical Islamic regimes and organizations, such as Sudan and Saudi Arabia, and some foreign radicals have been involved in the violence. Since September 11, demonstrations in support of Osama BinLaden have taken place in Nigeria, and hundreds of civilians have been killed in rioting between Bin Laden supporters and Christians. The Freedom House report urges the U.S. government to revise its foreign assistance programs in Nigeria to assist the Nigerian government in overcoming Islamic extremism.

Dr. Marshall is the author of many books, includingthe best-selling, award-winning book "Their Blood Cries Out", a detailed study of persecuted Christians worldwide. He is the editor of "Religious Freedom in the World: A Global Survey of Freedom and Persecution."

Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom works to stop religious repression by documenting andpublicizing restrictions on religious and other human rights, and by mobilizing public support in defense of those who are imprisoned, tortured, exiled, or otherwise persecuted for religious reasons. The report, priced at $8, is available from FreedomHouse's Center for Religious Freedom; it isavailable without charge to the media and government offices. Selections from the report are available on
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Al-Qaeda... is US Embassy in Nigeria a Target.

This Day (Lagos)
June 19, 2005 Posted to the web on June 20, 2005
Paul Ohia. Lagos.

With the closure last Thursday of the Consulate of the United States Embassy in Lagos, followed the next day by the missions of Germany, Italy, Finland, Russia, Sweden, India and Lebanon, there are now palpable fears that the Al-Quaeda network of Osama Bin Laden, might have infiltrated Nigeria in its bid to wreck havoc on US interests. THISDAY gathered at the weekend that the tip-off relied upon by the US embassy was supplied by an anonymous Nigerian but the questions remain: how real and genuine was this terror scare? Or was there more to it than mere security alert?

Walter Carrington Crescent is the most popular street in Lagos when it comes to diplomatic matters. It is shaped like a loop and has only one entrance. United States, Italy, Lebanon, the Netherlands and Russia have diplomatic missions on the road. In fact, nearly all the embassies of the most influential countries in teh world are located therein and despite the busy activities noticeable in the zone, the serenity of the crescent is second to none. A sharp contrast to the peacefulness of Walter Carrington was displayed last Friday when there was an unusual security presence in the zone. Vehicles were screened with bomb detection devices by members of the Nigerian police and hundreds of gun totting security men paraded the area.

This was a precautionary measure taken as a result of a statement released by the American government last week that it has received threats from terrorists that an attack was imminent on US interests in Nigeria. Because of this terror scare, US temporarily closed its consulate and those of Britain, Germany, Italy, Russia and other nations followed suit.

Nigerian security officials who spoke to THISDAY on conditions of anonymity said there were telephone calls to the embassy which warned of attacks. The security officials offered no further details.

Corroborating this, a US military spokewoman, Major Holly Silkman said in Dakar, Senegal that "there was some kind of terrorist threat made" adding that the threat was called in.

A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs said that the Nigerian government has begun "to investigate and address the situation, in collaboration with the United States authorities."

Following the development, the US embassy in Abuja operated with only skeletal services while embassy officials spoke tarsely on the situation.

The British Foreign Office in London said that it decided to shut its Deputy High Commission in Lagos following the closure of nearby US consulate while its Deputy High commissioner Martin Shearman said "We'll reassess over the weekend, but the plan is to reopen on Monday."

Germany also closed its mission in Lagos for security reasons, according to its Foreign Ministry in Berlin.

In Washington State Department Spokeswoman, Angela Aggeler described the Abuja embassy as closed. Her words:"The consulate in Lagos is closed. Abuja remains open, but has minimal staff."

Many Nigerians who got wind of the incidence on Friday and yesterday questioned whether the threat by Al-Qaeda was being backed by any Nigerian collaborators but a diplomatic source said: "This is not a Nigerian source and there is not necessarily Nigerian participation, but we can't be sure of that."

Elsewhere in the money market the dollar fell against the euro and Swiss franc after the US, Britain and Germany shut diplomatic missions in Lagos.

Origin of Threats to Nigeria

In his last official video broadcast in the Arab television station al-Jazeera, al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, had singled out Nigeria, because of its close ties with Washington, as a country worthy of jihad. With this declaration, bin-Laden made the threat of a terrorist attack on Nigerian soil a very real possibility.

Following this broadcast, a United States intelligence expert and former ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Princeton Lyman spoke on an American television CBN where he said that investigations has unfolded that after the dreaded Middle East terrorist group, Al-Qaeda was chased out of Afghanistan, it has shifted base to Nigeria in which its influence is growing by the day.

Lyman said that the investigation done by the United Nations has uncovered surreptitious training bases of al-Qaeda in support of his conclusion that Nigeria is a natural terrorist target.

His words: "You have 60 million or more Muslims in Nigeria. It is the most populous state, and it is a country in which there has been a long history of religious tension, sometimes well-managed, sometimes not well-managed. If you wanted to target a state in West Africa, that's the one you target."

Lyman justified his fears on the fact that Nigeria is a leading oil producer and a major source of oil supply to the US.

Lyman said, "twenty-percent of the new oil coming on the market over the next decade is going to come from West Africa, and U.S. companies alone are going to be investing about 50 billion dollars up and down West Africa. Nigeria is a major part of that."

The fact that slashing the West's oil arteries has become a major part of Al Qaeda's terror tactics since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on World Trade Centre, New York and other places lent credence to Lyman's message. Experts believe that by hitting oil targets in other countries, terrorists can hit the US economically.
The intelligence expert warned that frustration among the population is a breeding ground for terrorist actions adding that intelligence experts have ignored Nigeria for a long time on every level including intelligence gathering.

Also related to Lyman's allegation was a briefing of the US congress by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where the body has pointed out that fanatical Islam is attracting a huge number of people from Nigeria's Muslim community. CIA said that the rise of religious extremism is threatening to turn Africa's most populous nation into a breeding ground for international terrorists.

The popular view was that Al-Qaeda hit the consciousness of Nigerians after the group successfully hit American interests including the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon, headquarters of US defence complex by hijacking commercial passenger planes which were crashed into the target areas on September 11, 2001.

Washington Post, a leading US publication, said last year that the next Hotbed of Al-Qaeda's radicalism is Nigeria. It alleged that Osama bin Laden had sent emissaries to Nigeria in an effort to unite Islamic groups under the umbrella of al Qaeda and Howard Jeter, the then US ambassador to Nigeria warned that the country faces real threat of al Qaeda attack because of its close ties with Washington.

Are there Other Factors?
Notwithstanding all these, there are many people within government, who believe the recent alarm has more to do with politics than security. The thinking is that the US may not be comfortable with the move by Nigeria to have its debt cancelled. The Nigerian government has been moving towards having a debt buy-back in which part of the debt would be written off while it would use a sizable chunk of its reserve to pay off the remaining and this is part of the on-going negotiations at the Paris Club meetings. But observers believe this thinking may not be correct for two reasons. One, the move to have Nigeria's debt partly cancelled is being supported by the US and if the country does not back the bid, it is as good as dead.

The second reason is that in recent times, the US has been known to close its embassy in many countries at the slightest observation of an attack. Late last month, it closed its embassy in Indonesia citing an unspecified terrorist threat just as the Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was in Washington to strenthen ties with America.

The closure included all American government offices including consulate general in Surabaya. Just like in Nigeria, the US told its citizens that the threat of terror attack remains high. Before then, the citizens have been warned to avoid trabel to Indonesia and to take security precautions if the travel was very necessary.

The case of Indonesia was quite understandable because several blasts have been recorded in the country.

Earlier on December 2004, the US had advised its citizens traveling to Afghanistan to be cautious since the country's election was at hand.
"We take this opportunity to remind the community of the continuing threats outlined in the current Travel Warning for Afghanistan and Worldwide Caution Public Announcement." a statement by Russel J. Brown, Consul US Embassy in Kabul had said.

Saudi Arabia, the native land of bin Laden has been witnnessing series of embassy closures. On a particular warning issued in November 2003, the US stated that terrorists have hatched an attack in the kingdom adding that the embassy "continues to receive credible information that terrorists in Saudi Arabia have moved from the planning to operational phase of planned attacks in the kingdom."
It cautioned American citizens in the kingdom to be extra vigilant when in any area perceived to be American or Western.

In the case of Sri Lanka, Embassy were evacuated Tuesday after it received mail containing a suspicious powder. The embassy's staff was gathered in the building's auditorium and were told to evacuate the building in 10 minutes.
Minutes later, the nearby building which houses USAID, the embassy's publicity division and the American public library were also shut down indefinitely.
Also, the US Embassy and American Center in New Delhi, India, were closed because of security concerns. Indian newspapers reported that the embassy was warned of a possible attack by terrorists, but officials did not give a specific reason.

In 2001, the US Embassy in Colombo received mail containing a white powdery substance, raising worries over anthrax. However, subsequent investigations proved the powder did not contain anthrax spores.

Controversial Report

Late last month, President Olusegun Obasanjo brought all the issue of US concern for Nigeria's security to the consciousness of the whole country when he presented to the National Assembly a US report that said that Nigeria will break up in the next 15 years.

The report also highlighted about 20 potential sources of danger to a US citizen visiting Nigeria but did not leave out the al-Qaeda threat. Also cited are links to the dreaded al-Qaeda's threat to overthrow the nation's civilian administration
The President reacted to the report by stating his belief that we can and should disprove the modern experts of the United States Intelligence Council who are like prophets of doom. We must be determined to show that we are neither a basket case nor walking on a banana peel."

A six man adhoc committee was set up by the Senate to study the report but not until after the house had condemned it in various terms. Uche Chukwumerije, the chairman of Senate committee in communication had said that America since 1959 forecast the collapse of Cuba under Fidel Castro which is yet to happen but cautioned that Nigeria should take the report as more of a challenge in disguise.

"This paper (report) is not from prophets of doom but from accomplished terror psychologists. They are out to cause social dehydration. Nigeria is going to become a challenge to the Western World," he said, adding that the report would end as "a touch-light that would illuminate our path, it will expose our weaknesses." he said.
Other senators condemned it with words like "prophecy of doom", "social rehydration" etc while Senator Ibrahim Mantu recalled that in 1998 and 2001, the same US Intelligence Council had predicted that Nigeria was on the brink of disintegration and that when it collapses it would be impossible to rise from the ruins. Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora went spiritual when he told the Senate that many were the affliction of Nigeria but "God has always rescued us"

But the US reacted further by urging the government not to ignore the report. The US embassy Counsellor for Public Affairs, Mrs. Claudio Anyaso said that Nigeria should learn from the ravaging HIV/AIDS pandemic and terrorist attacks which the US issued warning about many years before their manifestation.
She explained that the country even issues reports on its internal affairs which have nothing to do with other countries adding that even the these have often been ignored to the chagrin of Americans.
Her words: "There was a report done several years ago, a report done in the US on national security. It was a Congressional Committee that asked them to do the report. The report specifically looked at national security issues. The report was submitted and kept on the shelves. Nobody really took it seriously until 9/11."
She said that many of the things contained in the report wanted the Congress and the US government to create homeland security to make the US more secure.
She, however, commended President Olusegun Obasanjo's response to the letter. The US official dismissed insinuations that the report was targeted at Nigeria.
"I think this report is looking at sub-Saharan Africa, not just Nigeria. Looking at trends that may take place in the future. For its worth, you will be the people who will look at the report, agree with the report, disagree with the report and see how some of those trends may be," she said.

Religious Bloodsheds in Nigeria

Religious fights in Nigeria has always been a reference point for the US when talking of the likelihood of terror network in Nigeria despite the fact that such factors predated the present definition of terrorism.

There analysis takes into consideration that the country has a population of about 140 million people that is divided roughly evenly between Muslims and Christians.
The influence of bin Laden in these religious fights have never been talked about until he recently named the country as needing liberation. Moreover, the agitation for better life standard which has made many Nigerians to identify with anybody that offers liberation has been misread by the Western world as meaning that the citizens can join al-Qaeda.

Incidentally, a travel warning by the US for Nigeria updated last month, alleged that links were uncovered connecting Nigerians to al Qaeda in 2004.

Meanwhile, a small home-grown Islamic sect known as the "Talibans" has been lending credence to this by staging a series of attacks on government offices and police stations in the remote northeast and calling for the imposition of an Islamic state.

The US is also irked that some states in the Muslim-dominated north of Nigeria maintains close contacts with the rest of the Islamic world, and plays host to many clerics from Saudi Arabia, Iran and elsewhere.

They argue that Nigeria's border with Niger and Chad are porous noting that they are two Islamic nations with long histories of poverty and rebellion that make them a fertile recruiting ground for anti-US militants.

Terrorism Travel Warnings

From time to time, the US issues travel warning to its citizens about Nigeria but what makes the latest issued on May 20,2005 unique is that it added that there are concerns about the presence of groups and individuals linked to international terrorism. The American Department of State warned US citizens of the dangers of travel to the country which includes the lack of law and order in Nigeria which it said poses considerable risks to travelers.

"Violent crime committed by ordinary criminals, as well as by persons in police and military uniforms, can occur throughout the country. Kidnapping for ransom of persons associated with the petroleum sector, including US citizens, remains common in the Niger Delta area. Religious tension between some Muslim and Christian communities results in occasional acts of isolated communal violence that could erupt quickly and without warning." the statement said.

The State Department singled out the states of Kano and Kaduna as particularly volatile. It warned that rival ethnic groups have clashed violently in the Niger Delta region around Warri city and in Southeast Plateau State.

Noteworthy is the emphasis that Senior al-Qaida leadership has expressed interest publically in overthrowing the government of Nigeria and claims that links were uncovered connecting Nigerians to al-Qaida in 2004.
It went on, "Periodically, travel by US mission personnel is restricted based on changing security conditions, often due to general strike or student/political demonstrations. US citizens should contact the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the US Consulate General in Lagos for up-to-date information on these restrictions."
US said that road travel in Nigeria is dangerous adding that robberies by armed gangs have been reported on rural roads and within major cities. "Travelers should avoid driving at night. Because of poor vehicle maintenance and driving conditions, public transportation throughout Nigeria can be dangerous and should be avoided. Taxis pose risks because of the possibility of fraudulent or criminal operators, old and unsafe vehicles, and poorly maintained roads. Road travel in Lagos is banned between 7:00 and 10:00 AM on the last Saturday of every month for municipal road cleanup; police vigilantly enforce the ban." the statement said
It said that most Nigerian airlines have aging fleets, and that maintenance and operational procedures may be inadequate to ensure passenger safety. Futhermore it warned that some Nigerian-based criminals conduct advance fee fraud and other scams that target foreigners worldwide and that these fraudulent activities pose great risk of financial loss.
"Recipients traveling to Nigeria to pursue such fraudulent offers have been subject to physical harm, and local police authorities are often unwilling to help in such cases. No one should provide personal financial or account information to unknown parties. Under no circumstances should US citizens travel to Nigeria without a valid visa -- an invitation to enter Nigeria without a visa is normally indicative of illegal activity." it said.

According to the warning, the ability of US Embassy officers to extricate US citizens from unlawful business deals and their consequences is limited therefor persons contemplating business deals in Nigeria are strongly urged to check with the US Department of Commerce or the US Department of State before providing any information or making any financial commitments. Finally, US citizens who travel to or reside in Nigeria despite the Travel Warning were strongly advised to register through the State Department's travel registration website.

Taylor's Al-Qaeda 'Connection'


Recently, a United Nations-backed Sierra Leonean war crime tribunal alleged that the former Liberian president, Charles Taylor who is on exile in Nigeria has links with the Al-Qaeda. The court officials said that the major reason why Taylor is working with the group is to destabilize the entire West African sub-region.
They maintained that the former liberian warlord's involvement with al-Qaeda was enough to turn the sub region to another Afghanistan.

Briefing a closed session of the UN Security Council, chief court investigator Alan White said he had enough evidence of Mr. Taylor's active involvement in several efforts to instigate rumpus in the region. According to him, Taylor attempted to assassinate Guinean President Lansana Conte last January. "In November, we started learning about a plot that Charles Taylor and others in the region were trying to engage in destabilizing the region. In particular Guineaâ-oe We reported it in November, and we reported it in December in January it went down exactly the way our sources had reported it was going to occur, and that is on January 19th the assassination attempt on president Conte," he said.

The tribunal chief said that al-Qaeda's operation with Taylor has been long linking him to an earlier attack in Kenya by the group.
"Al Qaeda has been in West Africa, it continues to be in West Africa, and Charles Taylor has been harboring members of al Qaeda to include those part of allegedly the takedown of U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya. He harbored them in 1998, we have activities as late as six April 2005," he said.

He insisted that the solution was to have the Council pass a resolution praising Nigeria's role in removing the former Liberian president but said: "It is clear that until Charles Taylor is brought to justice he will be an immediate clear and present danger to the threat and peace and security, not only to Liberia, but the entire West African region."

But President obasajo said that he wanted proof for all the allegations against Taylor. "I will want to see incontrovertible evidence of what wrong Charles Taylor has done since he was taken to Nigeria,".
Obasanjo argued further that it had been a global decision that Nigeria grant Taylor asylum in 2003 to help stabilise West Africa and end years of conflict in Liberia by removing him from power.
"All the major countries of the world agreed the condition for taking Charles Taylor out was to prevent a bloodbath in Liberia. It was a humanitarian act that everyone agreed to," he said.

Nigerian Talibans

Late September 2004, there was a report from Borno State that armed Islamic group killed seven people. The police commenced a man hunt of the group of 40 said to wearing red bandanas and crying "Allahu Akbar" (God is Great).

They attacked two police stations and made off with looted ammunition. The militants dubbed the Taleban had earlier stormed several police stations in Borno and neighbouring Yobe State claiming that they wish to set up an Islamic government in Nigeria.

The gory news was that three police officers, including a woman constable who was briefly abducted, and seven civilians were killed in the attacks in the towns of Bama and Gworza, 40kms apart.

None of the attackers, who carried a flag with an Islamic symbol during the raid, were apprehended after their activities. This prompted an emergency security meeting in Borno state capital Maiduguri and Deputy Police Commissioner Aliyu Musa sent mobile police units and military reinforcements after the men.
Chris Olakpe the police spokesman in Abuja said he believed the militiamen had crossed the border from neighbouring Niger.

January the same year some of their members were killed and some arrested but police said most of them managed to escape.
May 12 this year Militants torched houses in Plateau State, in an attempt to drive out Christians and pave the way for strict Islamic law. The group calling themselves the 'Taliban' issued a threat to Christians returning to their homes after the aids.
The extremists put three houses to the torch in Wase, Plateau State, when the occupants were out .

Embassy Attacks in Africa

On August 7, 1998, the United States embassies in the East African capital cities of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya, were severely damaged in nearly simultaneous truck bomb attacks. 213 people were killed in Nairobi and dozen others in Dar es Salaam. Estimates put the number injured in Kenya at 4000 while 85 were injured in Dar es Salaam. The victims were African civilians and several US diplomats. It was this bombing that first brought Osama bin Laden and al-qaeda to limelight.

But Taliban-controlled Afghanistan labeled bin Laden a man without a sin regarding the bombing. The initial investigation into the bombing were conducted by US FBI and Kenyan and Tanzanian authorities. As a result, a list of suspects was drawn up from which several men were charged with complicity in the bombing.

The American Federal Bureau of Investigation (FGI) placed him on their search list as among the ten most wanted people.

As a retaliation the then president of US ordered cruise missile strikes on targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. The attacks were directed at an alleged chemical weapons producing plant in Sudan with 13 cruise missile which resulted in the death of the night watchmen. The Afghanistan attack came in the form of over 70 cruise missile at three separate terrorist camps. This attack killed an estimated 24 people but failed to get Osama Bin Laden.

However, the US government commission appointed to look into the bombings criticised "the collective failure of the US government over the past decade" to prepare for terrorist attacks and to adequately fund security improvements at American embassies. "Responsibility for this failure can be attributed to several administrations and their agencies, including the Department of State, National Security Council, and Office of Management and Budget, as well as the U.S. Congress," said the report of the panel, chaired by retired Adm. William J. Crowe, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The commission said that the US relies much on intelligence report and tends to relax once there is no warnings coming from these reports. Two months later, the hunt for bin Laden increased as he was indicted of murder and conspiracy. The US pursued bin Laden on several tracks, using military strikes and secret diplomacy and even the most extensive overseas law enforcement investigation in the history of America.

Statements issued by the al-Qaeda chieftain before his first attack on African were then made public. He had stated: "Despite the great devastation inflicted on the Iraqi people by the crusader-Zionist alliance, and despite the huge number of those killed, in excess of 1 million . . . despite all this, the Americans are once again trying to repeat the horrific massacres, as though they are not content with the protracted blockade imposed after the furious war or the fragmentation and devastation. ... If the Americans' aims behind these wars are religious and economic, the aim is also to serve the Jews' petty state and divert attention from its occupation of Jerusalem and murder of Muslims there."

Since the days of the Kenyan and Tanzanian bombings, no terrorist attacks of such magnitude has been witnessed on the contintent of Africa. Thus, it could be said that the US wants to take precautionary measures instead after an attack. Hence they decided to beef up security at the embassies in Nigeria since the terror mastermind himself has expressed interest in the country.

September 11 Attack

The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks carried out in the US on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. Reports said that nineteen men affiliated with al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. They crashed one into each of the two tallest towers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, the two towers collapsed. Due to passenger resistance,the third aircraft crashed into the Pentagon, in Arlington County, Virginia, just outside the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.. The fourth plane crashed into a rural field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The attacks were the most goory ever carried out in the US. The death toll was2,986 . The September 11th attacks are regarded as the most significant events to have occurred so far in the 21st Century in terms of the profound economic, social, cultural, and military effects that followed in the United States and many parts of the world. As a result of the attack, the US invaded Afghanistan and chased out the Taliban led government but missed catching their main target, bin Laden. As a result of the attack, the hunt for terrorists intensified throuhgout the world.

Osama Cult

Shirts and posters bearing the name of Osama bin Laden has been seen in some Nigerian streets, mostly in the north. Some youth have tended to identify with the terror mastermind though stupefied when confronted with an explanation of how the terrorists blow themselves up with explosives.

Some babies have also been known to have been named after the Saudi born fugitive.
A nurse at one hospital in a Northern city was reported as saying that "this is a season of Bin Laden babies where fathers who regard him as hero name their children after him for his bravery and undauntedness."
Similarly it was reported that a nursing mother in Calabar, Cross River State fled home in protest against the naming of her newly born baby after Osama bin Laden by her husband. The woman, a Christian, was said to have decided to divorce the Muslim husband for naming her child after "the most wanted man in the world." But the husband had insisted that his son's name is Osama bin Laden.

How Has US, Nigeria Relations Fared

Due to the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election and the human rights abuses, followed it and the failure to embark on a meaningful democratic transition, the US imposed sanctions on Nigeria. These included the imposition of the country's Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to refuse entry into the US of senior officials of the military government and others who formulated, implemented, or benefited from policies impeding Nigeria's transition to democracy, suspension of all military assistance, and a ban on the sale and repair of military goods and refinery services to Nigeria. The US Ambassador was recalled for consultations for four months after the execution of Ken Saro Wiwa and his colleagues popularly known as the Ogoni Nine on November 10, 1995.

After a period of increasingly strained relations, the sudden death of General Sani Abacha on June 1998 and his replacement by General Abubakar opened a new chapter of improved relations. As democracy progressed, the lifting of visa restrictions, increased the level of visits by US officials, discussions of future assistance, and the granting of a Vital National Interest Certification on counter-narcotics, effective in March, 1999, paved the way for re-establishment of closer ties between the United States and Nigeria, as a key partner in the West African region and the continent. Since the inauguration of the democratically elected Obasanjo government, the bilateral relationship has been improving, with cooperation on many important foreign policy goals, such as regional peacekeeping.

The government has lent strong diplomatic support to the US Government counter-terrorism efforts in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The Government of Nigeria, in its official statements, has condemned the terrorist attacks and supported military action against the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Nigeria also has played a vital role in forming an anti-terrorism consensus among countries in Sub-
Saharan Africa.

Effect of Embassy Closure on Nigerians
Evidently, no other embassy in Nigeria attracts the number of visa seekers like the US embassy and the second is the British embassy.
In addition embassies along the Walter Carrington that closed with the US like German embassy, Italian embassy and the Indian embassy will deal a big blow to Nigerian travelers. Its effect will become more pronounced because the warning was impromptu.

At the embassy Friday, many were already lamenting the disruption in the activities while some disputed the possibility of a terrorist attack on Nigeria. A man who wishes to remain anomymous reasons that the whole issue about embassy closure was a means deviced by the country to justify its report on Nigeria.
Some people who were given appointment on the internet lamented that they have to go back and fill th forms again for another appointment whereas those who came for renewal complained loss of time. Many students expressed fear that they might lose the academic session resumption if the the embassies fail to resume early next week.
After Embassy Closure, What Next?

US had earlier indicated its interest in counter terrorism actions in West African sub-region and from the present situation the country's troops are really coming. It had funnelled more money and troops into north and northwest Africa to train and equip armies to combat the growing threat from local terror and insurgent and Nigeria will certainly be a major focus.

Presently, US troops from the European Command which overseas US military interests in Europe and most of Africa kicked off a two-week counterterrorism training exercise called Flintlock involving forces from Algeria, Chad, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Nigeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Since it was confirmed that the present warning came from outside, every effort will now be intensified to make sure that the terrorist groups will not establish sanctuaries in the country.

Actually, US military involvement in Nigeria and other African countries will soon be the largest it has been in decades, at least financially.
This initiative has already been christened Trans-Sahara Counter-Terrorism Initiative and it is to be funded with $100 million a year for five years.
Relevant Links
West Africa Conflict, Peace and Security Religion International Terrorism United States, Canada and Africa Nigeria