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Al-Qaeda offers to help Nigerian Muslims

03 February 2010 03:20 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. An al-Qaeda cell in North Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), yesterday offered to help Nigerian Muslims with training and weapons during their battles, as Nigeria grapples with religious crisis, APA reports citing â€œReutersâ€.

This deadly offer is coming 71 days after President Umaru Yar â€˜Adua travelled out of the country on health grounds without fulfilling the constitutional obligation of handing over power to his deputy, Goodluck Jonathan.

According to a Reuterâ€™s report, the al-Qaeda group, while claiming a constituency in the Nigerian Muslim community, said, â€œwe are ready to train your people in weapons, and give you whatever support we can in men, arms and munitions to enable you to defend our people in Nigeria,â€ according to its statement posted on Islamic websites that often carry statements from groups using the al-Qaeda signature.

Trying to lend a global perspective to its cause, the extremist promised support to Nigerian Muslims: â€œYou are not alone in this test. The hearts of Mujahideen are in pain over your troubles and desire to help you as much as possible, in the Islamic Maghreb, Somalia,

Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya.â€ The statement was signed by Abu Musâ€™ab Abdel-Wadoud, who was described as the â€œemirâ€, or leader, of the group.

The Nigerian police, reacting to the new threat, said it is â€œcapable of protecting lives and properties of Nigerians.â€ The forceâ€™s deputy public relations officer, Yemi Ajayi said that, â€œsuch a message will not be a threat. They will not be a threat, as we have always proactively done a number of things to checkmate such alarms.â€

He said the information came from â€˜mischief makersâ€™ and promised that, â€œthe Nigerian Police will not rest on our oars, we will not go to sleep be it the handiwork of mischief makers.â€ Investigations revealed that the group does not have a website. They operate like other militia groups, like the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta by sending email to reporters to state their views.

The al-Qaeda organisation in the Islamic Maghreb have links to al-Qaeda which aims to overthrow the Algerian government and institute an Islamic state through an insurgent campaign. The group is involved in smuggling, protection rackets and money laundering across the borders of Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Libya and Chad - which provides its financial underpinnings.