Nigerians in the diaspora have expressed the hope that U.S. President-elect, Mr Donald Trump, will help end terrorism in Africa, even as they identified the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) as a group that must be curtailed by the incoming American government.
The Nigerians based in the United States (U.S.), who spoke through More Voices Against Terrorism, however, condemned a statement by the U.S. State Department that criticised the Nigeria Police Force handling of the Shiites sectarian clashes with security agencies and recently the killing of officers going about their businesses.
Trump drew international ire as the Republican candidate when he vowed decisive action against radical Islam if elected.
A statement by Angela Bala, More Voices Against Terrorism’s Head of Administration said the group is “hopeful that the incoming administration of President-elect, Mr Donald Trump, which has shown remarkable understanding of radical Islam, would put the IMN on the terror list and compel Iran to stop exporting its evil to the African continent.
“Even as we await such positive development, we urge the State Department to withdraw its offensive statements in favour of IMN and to desist from further issuing such,” it demanded.
The Group described the State Department’s statement as alarming for openly castigating the Federal Government while supporting the outlawed IMN, which it described as an affiliate of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
More Voices Against Terrorism lamented that “Much as the statement postured to have addressed both sides to the Kano clash that left several Nigerians dead, we find it absurd that the U.S. State Department spoke of the IMN without acknowledging its ties with terrorism or its relationship with Iran that is known to be a state sponsor of terrorism.
“As a body in the U.S., More Voices Against Terrorism is very aware that the entire members and leadership of the IMN would have been hauled before a law court if they try a tenth of what they do in Nigeria on a daily basis, yet the United States has decided to imbue them with more confidence to delude them that the world is in support of the crimes they are committing.
“This can only end badly for the entire human race same way a delay in designating Boko Haram as a terror group is haunting the world today.
“It is worrisome that the same country that readily incinerates school children and wedding parties with drone fired Hellfire Missiles whenever its marines as much as come under fire in other sovereign nations is now the one questioning the right of Nigeria’s security forces to deal with known terrorists.
“It should be placed on record that any administration that gives credence to terrorism above the rights of overwhelming segment of humanity, comprising of women and children who are the worst hit by terrorism all over the world, is to return the human race to the nasty state of nature where life is crude, nasty and brutish.
“That the U.S. designates Iran as state sponsor of terrorism and turns around to support Iranian puppets in Nigeria betrays a deficit in thinking that can only lead to the worrisome conclusion that the long term plan is to replicate the kind of confusing proxies’ wars ongoing in Syria over there in Nigeria. We warn that the outcome of such attempts would be calamitous as the IMN terrorists would eventually ply their wares on US soil and in other condoning countries within the shortest time possible.
“We urge a stop to the duplicity of the State Department. Its double standard is confirmed by the highly repulsive and condemnable act in which its statements are issued and distributed through the IMN spokesman in Nigeria. This is simply unfair, unjust and a very biased position against Nigerians that have been hit hard by IMN activities,” the group stated.
