1 December 2011
A United States House Sub-committee on Homeland Security has produced a report suggesting that Boko Haram be designated a terrorist organisation even as it proposed boosting US government support for efforts to counter the sect.
The committee on counterterrorism and Intelligence, chaired by Representative Patrick Meehan, warned against underestimating Boko Haram’s intent and capability to attack the US homeland and urged the State Department to investigate whether the group should be designated a foreign terrorist organisation, the Huffington Post reported Wednesday.
It also recommended increasing intelligence gathering on Boko Haram, including reaching out to Nigerian immigrants in the US.
The committee at the end of its sitting Wednesday, made the following recommendations: “Do not underestimate Boko Haram’s intent and capability to attack the US homeland. As this report makes clear, the US Intelligence Community has recently underestimated the intent and capability of terrorist groups to strike the homeland, most notably Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). These underestimations had near deadly consequences on Christmas Day 2009 over Detroit and in May 2010 in Times Square.
“Determine whether Boko Haram should be designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO).The Secretary of State should conduct an investigation into whether Boko Haram should be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organi-sation, in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), as amended. Following the Boko Haram attack on the United Nations (UN) headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, we wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for an investigation to determine whether FTO designation was necessary. In light of Boko Haram’s continued escalation, FTO designation may be required to provide our intelligence and law enforcement communities the tools necessary to ensure Boko Haram does not attack US interests and the US Homeland.
“Increase US intelligence community on Boko Haram: The US Intelligence Community must increase its intelligence collection on Boko Haram, including human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT). It must also enhance its liaison relationship with Nigerian security services and help build their capacity to combat the threat posed by Boko Haram to Nigerian and US interests.
“Conduct outreach with Nigerian Diaspora communities in the United States: The US government should develop relationships with Nigerian Diaspora communities in the United States to learn more about Boko Haram and the factors driving its evolution, intent, capability, and targeting. Through familial and personal relationships, Diaspora communities in the United States provide a unique and invaluable perspective on their home country.
“Increase US government support for Nigerian counter-terrorism and intelligence: The US Government should increase its support for programmes that enhance the ability of Nigerian security forces to more effectively target Boko Haram and counter its evolution. The US and Nigerian governments should also work more closely to increase intelligence collection.”
The Huffington Post said Boko Haram piqued the interest of some Capitol Hill lawmakers when it bombed UN headquarters in Abuja earlier this year.
Early last month, the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence Macaulay, had warned Nigeria against the growing ambition of Boko Haram.
Meanwhile, the State Security Service (SSS) Wednesday paraded Chiwendu Josaiah as the mastermind of text messages to foreign embassies in Nigeria threatening them of possible attacks by Boko Haram.
The SSS read, “We are Boko Haram, we are coming for you,” as one of the numerous text messages sent by suspected fake Boko Haram members, who sent threat messages to foreign embassies during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration before the long arms of the law of the operatives of SSS finally caught up with him.
Some foreign embassies had written a warning letter to their nationals against coming to Nigeria for any reason whatsoever because, according to the security report, Nigeria was not safe for them.
The SSS said Josiah, an indigene of Imo State, allegedly sent emails to foreign embassies that caused panic and anxiety which led to the travel alert issued during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
Josiah, who said he had been involved in internet scam since 1998 based on the attractive option he could not resist, operated under the disguise of a member of Boko Haram to send threat email messages to foreign embassies as well as wealthy individuals.
Addressing newsmen Wednesday in Abuja, the Service’s spokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, said criminals, taking opportunity of the security situation in the country, had been exploiting, threatening and stirring apprehension among members of the public.
Ogar, while enjoining members of the public to stop improper disposal of official and personal documents since these are the information criminals used to get across to their prey, gave the names of the terrorists as Stanley Ochuwa, Emmanuel Ogbonna Chinonyerem, Onyedikachi Akpasue, and Mathias Akubobo, all of the same gang.
Others are Kaduna-based Haruna Alhaji Hassan, whose operational name is Alhaji Madu Gana, Maurice Efe Lawrence, and Chinwendu Josiah.
Paul Ohia, Ike Abonyi and Yemi Akinsuyi, With Agency Reports
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