Boko haram: Weapon source traced to Turkey
By Olugbenga Adanikin (International Centre for Investigative Reporting)
A VIRAL video circulating on the social media platforms has identified the Turkish government led by Recep Tayyip Erdogan as supporter of the Boko Haram insurgent group in Nigeria.
Turkey supplies Boko Haram arms and ammunition, the leak claimed.
The revelation came through a phone call allegedly intercepted, and aired by the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN).
The voice linked several attacks on Christian groups in Nigeria, as part of attempts to purportedly Islamise the country.
The video was aired 19th November, last year, and has generated public debate in a few countries except Nigeria.
“Today’s leak confirms without doubt that Erdogan, his State, his government, and his party are transferring weapons from Turkey to – this is a shock, to where you may ask – to Nigeria, and to whom? to the Boko Haram organisation,”
Raymond Ibrahim, an expert on Militia Islam and also a fellow at David Horowitz Freedom Centre revealed on CBN that the controversial tape was leaked in 2015, and was reported in some parts of the United States.
He stated that Erdogan is popular for supporting the Islamic agenda in nations like Nigeria with the sole aim of establishing government operated by sharia system.
According to him, the support allegedly being offered to the Boko Haram sect has extended to the ‘fulani’ ethnic group.
“No, I’m not surprised. My take is that the actual tape referenced was recorded in about 2015 and was widely reported in the US area but not so much in the west, and not much came out of it. The reason is that Erdogan does not have his hand so much in Islamic politics outside of his nation,” Ibrahim stated during the television broadcast.
“Now that we have seen Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi, the Islamic State leader that was skilled recently, and he was found three miles from the Turkish border, which was one of the last parts of the Jihad Freedom fighters attacking the Syrian government.”
He noted further that,“…this guy [Erdogan] is involved in one of the worst Islamist terror groups. Remember Boko Haram which loosely means western education is forbidden is basically doing what ISIS is doing, notorious wars years before ISIS, massacre, killing children and burning people live.
“…And one of the things international observers have been noticing, especially increasingly is the argument that there weapons are very sophisticated. It is even spilling into the Fulani tribesmen in Nigeria and northern parts of Africa.”
Ibrahim cited an instance of Fulani attacks in Burkina Faso, and some West African countries where attacks on Christians have alleged been horrific, stressing that in a few months back, many persons were killed for not following Islamic creed.
The expert noted that the Fulani tribe is still essentially living in an almost primitive scale that appear with advanced weapons.
On likely reasons the Turkish government might be collaborating with Boko Haram, the expert described Erdogan as ‘hardened Islamist’, who is always willing and supports any Islamist group in any country.
Some of the groups Erdogan allegedly associated with include the brotherhood, Aljazeera mostly to allegedly help develop the Islamic bodies to overthrow more secular states
“In Nigeria, Mohammed Buhari who is a Muslim has been accused of being behind the genocide which a lot of international groups have called on what is happening to Christians in Nigeria; that he himself is complacent in the armament, and he could very well be an ally of Erdogan to show some form of Islamist overall coalition globally.”
“…not just in Syria, there is other evidence of being involved in Nigeria and also turkey himself. The minority Christian population. You remember that turkey was originally and entirely a Christian country…they are really being treated badly and discriminated against.”
The military, however, promised to probe the matter as it is of national security. This was on 26th November, 2019.
Sagir Musa, Spokesperson for the Nigerian Army was contacted by The ICIR but he directed the reporter to the Director of Defence Information.
“Call the Director of Defence Information. He is in the best position to tell you…the Nigerian military includes the Army, Navy and Airforce, so he is in the best position.”
Brigadier General Clement Onyeama Nwachukwu, Spokesperson for the Nigerian Military was also contacted but did not respond to calls made to his line.
Text messages sent to him was not also replied as at the time of filing this report.
Culled from International Centre for Investigative Reporting