President Muhammadu Buhari has stated the increase in violence and terrorism by ISIL and other terror groups emboldened insurgent groups in Africa to pledge allegiance to the former, to gain local traction.
Citing Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to ISIL in March 2015 as an instance, he has urged for the support of the United Nations in the areas of security and intelligence gathering.
Buhari made the observation at the Global Leaders Summit on countering ISIL and violent extremism convened by the United States President, Barrack Obama, on the sideline of the ongoing 70th General Assembly of the United Nations.
Buhari said: “While we believe that Boko Haram’s action is an indication of the weakening operational capability of the group, it could also suggest that it was a strategic move to attract foreign fighters into its fold, and obtain assistance from ISIL. Certainly, whatever the reason was for the declaration of allegiance, one thing is certainBoko Haram terrorist group wants to be drawn into the centre stage of global terrorism.
“This development has led not only to a shift in strategy, but also to changes in ideology, recruitment and propaganda methods by Boko Haram. Its recourse to mass executions and public beheadings in the style of ISIL became notoriously widespread after the declaration of allegiance.”
Buhari stated for the umpteenth time, that Boko Haram is neither protecting nor promoting Islam, because Islam is the religion of peace and does not advocate the killing of the innocent
He continued: “Nigeria notes with satisfaction, the efforts of the United Nations and the rest of the international community to contain ISIL. We certainly need to do more. We need to take military action combined with effective border security, intelligence collection and sharing, and vigorous policing action.
“These alone may not suffice, but they can certainly stem the tide and reverse the process of recruitment, movement and effective operation of foreign terrorist fighters and their associated radical extremists. In order to put in place the critical components of an effective approach to countering ISIL and eventually defeating it, we must address the threat from the source.
“We must find a way to prevent young people from turning to terror in the first place. And the young people that turn to violent extremism do not exist in a vacuum – they are often part of communities and families and are lured into the fold of barbaric and nihilistic organizations, somehow, through a misguided appeal to their worst fears, expectations and apparent frustrations.
“The international community will be required to work together to deter and disrupt illicit financial flows from nations with weak anti–theft structures to other parts of the world.
“Where such funds are identified, the victim State should be assisted to recover them expeditiously. Mr Chairman, you have yourself observed that.“ Earlier, the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, noted that violent extremist groups, including Da’esh and Boko Haram, pose a direct threat to international security, mercilessly target women and girls, and undermine universal values of peace, justice and human dignity.