President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday, March 11, 2015 admitted that Boko Haram insurgents have traveled to the Middle East for training with Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists.
Speaking via an interview with Voice of America (VOA), President Jonathan stated that it had long been suspected that there were links between both terror groups.
He said: “So we know the links are there. But even now, we may not know the degree of linkages as to how much funds are coming in from them, the kind of volume of weapons coming in from them, the nationalities coming from them. But the training, because some of the Boko Haram members go to have their training in the ISIS camp and come back.”
Speaking further, President Jonathan fingered the intervention of troops from neighbouring countries as well as the arrival of new military hardware for the recent successes recorded by Nigerian troops.
He also addressed claims that the Federal Government denied foreign troops access to Boko Haram strong holds deep in Nigerian territory, stating that the Cameroonian government had also denied Nigerian troops access into its territory when they were in pursuit of the sect members.
He explained thus: “I think the idea is that — look, for any major aggression, we should know. Where possible, let some Nigerian soldiers also be with you.”
While expressing optimism that Yobe and Adamawa would be completely free from insurgents by next week, President Jonathan availed that Boko Haram would continue bombing parks and market places as a last resort since territory occupied by the sect was drastically reducing.
President Jonathan also spoke on the intervention of foreign trainers and technicians arriving the country to help out in the anti-insurgency campaign.
He said: “So we now have this technical people who are trainers and technicians, who are to train our people on how to use them, and technicians that help the maintenance, at the same time training our people how to maintain this equipment.”
Watch the clip of the interview below:
