Attacks near the Nigerian capital threaten national elections

Abuja, Nigeria-A series of terrorist attacks near Nigeria’s seat of power embarrassed authorities and threatened to disrupt the 2023 Nigerian general election.

Three notable incidents near the capital Abuja on July 5 were with President Muhammad Buhari Revealed his administration’s failure to end terrorism During his seven years of power.

In 2015, a former Army general said a Muslim terrorist besieging the northeastern part of the country saidTechnically defeated.“

However, at a brave power show, a large number of terrorists on July 5 attacked a prominent prison 29 miles from the country’s presidential palace in Abuja.

More than 800 prisoners, including Boko Haram and ISIS fighters, fled in an evening attack at Kuje’s Medium Correction Center, officials said.

ISIS terrorists claim breakout credit. The latest work in the series In the last few months.

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Analysts speaking to The Epoch Times fear that an attack replacing hundreds of communities could lead to an anti-Western empire in Africa’s most populous country.

Police ambush

The breakout happened a few hours after the gunman Ambushed a police car fleet On July 5, he will lead the president’s convoy in Katsina, Buhari’s hometown.

Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement that the ambush injured the two before being repulsed by police and secret service agents.

The chef wrote that Buhari was traveling to his hometown of Daura when the ambush occurred.

The scene of the attack is near the forest, Two policemen He was killed hours ago.

A spokesman for Gumbo Isa, a police officer at Katzina, said in a statement that more than 300 motorcycle terrorists had ambushed a police team attacking a bandit’s hideout in an area called Zacca.

According to Isa, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Aminu Umar, the police leader of Dassinma, and one other were killed in the attack.

Both incidents occurred more than a week later 30 soldiers were killed In Niger, about 180 miles from Abuja.

Within the past few weeks, dozens of villagers have been killed and many more have been kidnapped in Kaduna, which borders Abuja.

According to officials, in the prison attack on the night of July 5, 300 terrorists overwhelmed the guards at the entrance and 886 prisoners fled when the prison wall was blown up.

Umar Abubakar, a spokesman for the Nigerian Corrections Bureau, said in a statement that one of the security forces had died and four were injured.

4 prisoners He also said he died and 16 were injured.

ISWAP claims responsibility

Hours after the attack, ISIS West Africa released a video claiming responsibility.

Terrorists released a video on July 6 with the caption “Islamic State fighters attacked Abuja’s Kuje prison yesterday and successfully released dozens of prisoners.”

In the 38-second video, a group of civilians can be seen walking in an open field with cars burning behind. You can hear a male voice in a video screaming “Araf Akbar” with a gunshot.

As of July 9 444 fugitives have been retaken According to police and prison officials. However, only one of the 69 Boko Haram fugitives was identified.

Boko Haram and its secession faction ISWAP are deadly in 2016 after IS appoints Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the son of the late Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, to represent West Africa. We have entered the competition.

Aboubakar Shekau, the leader of the Boko Haram Group, reportedly blew himself off during a feud with an ISWAP fighter in May 2021.

But shortly thereafter, a new video showed that members of the two groups had an alliance.

“Recruitment source”

According to Tomasz Rolbiecki, a Polish researcher on the Jihadi violence extremist organization in sub-Saharan Africa, the Kuje attack could prove to be a crucial moment for ISWAP in Nigeria.

“The terrorists have succeeded in releasing dozens of fellow fighters, so they will be able to do more. Not soon, but I think there will be more ISWAP attacks in the north-central region. [NIgeria] … It’s been a while now, ”Rolbiecki wrote in a Twitter post.

The attack was carried out to free detained terrorists and recruited fighters, London-based military consultant David Otto said in a telephone interview with The Epoch Times.

US, UK and UN officials in Abuja have warned that terrorism could surge in and around the city.

The US Embassy on July 6 specifically advised US citizens to maintain a high awareness of personal safety over the next few weeks.

“Terrorist groups and groups inspired by such organizations are keen to attack US citizens abroad,” Warns said.

“Illegitimacy government”

In recent years, bandit terrorists specializing in ransom abductions have been responsible for armed attacks in the northwest and north-central regions, according to Murtara Rufai, a scholar at the University of Usman Danfodio Sokoto.

The Epoch Times reported in April that a large bandit led by a feared warlord known as Alikawaje set up a camp near Abja.

The Gangsters, mainly from the Fula According to Greg Stanton, founder of Genocide Watch, we are currently in contact with northeastern-based Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Both groups may be aimed at intimidating politicians and influencing the outcome of the 2023 general election, Otto said.

“The message they are trying to pass is that if they can attack the president’s convoy, they can defeat the government if they can attack the symbol of the country’s criminal justice system.” Otto said.

“They may not defeat the government exactly, but they will drive the country to some degree of uncertainty.

“It means that in 2023 citizens will lose confidence in choosing a president. If citizens cannot choose a president, you have an illiterate government, an unsupported government.” He said. ..

Government collusion

Members of the Epoch Times have accused Buhari of colluding with terrorists.

“When some of us insisted from the beginning that the government should be decisive and swift in tackling terrorism at its formation stage,” said Istifanus Gann, a plateaux senator. I didn’t lend it. “

“What that means is that ISWAP and all terrorist groups have become more bold and determined in their quest and dream of transforming Nigeria into an Islamic state, like Afghanistan.”

Congressman Simon Mwad Kwon also said in a telephone interview: [Buhari] Encouraging them, they are now everywhere in the country. “

“This is all related to the 2023 elections. If they can’t have members of their own faith in the government, they’ll want to force the country away,” he said. rice field.

Anti-Western Alliance

When Nigeria became an Islamic State, American activist Judd Sole told The Epoch Times: [in Nigeria] Became dominated by Islam, Islam has a history of cooperating many times with Western enemies, American enemies, and NATO enemies. “

“And you will see some very bad alliances taking place, and the interests of the government from US adversaries and the interests of the NATO people who see Nigeria as a very strategic interest. there is.

“The regime they want to cooperate with will undoubtedly affect Africa as a whole. When Nigeria collapses, Africa as a whole collapses.”