US Wants Boko Haram Designated a Terrorist Organisation

Source: huhuonline.com

Huhuonline.com http://Huhuonline.com/ can authoritatively disclose that a United States House Sub-committee on Homeland Security has suggested the branding of the notorious Boko Haram sect as a terrorist organisation. It has also proposed the furtherance of US government support

to counter the sect's unwholesome activities.
Investigations revealed that the committee on counter-terrorism and Intelligence, chaired by Representative Patrick Meehan, had warned against underestimating Boko Haram's intent and capability to attack the US homeland and urged the State Department to probe into the possibilities of designating the sect as a terrorist organisation.

The committee which recommended increasing intelligence gathering on Boko Haram by reaching out to Nigerian immigrants in the United States recommended that '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.'

Huhuonline.com finding revealed that Boko Haram's dastardly activities of unleashing mayhem on unsuspecting members of the public through bombing and other of its sundry heinous styles may have annoyed some Capitol Hill lawmakers, especially when the Islamist sect bombed UN headquarters in Abuja earlier this year.

This development, Huhuonline.com sources say, may have warranted the US ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Terrence Macaulay, to have warned Nigeria against the growing ambition of Boko Haram, just as the State Security Service (SSS), while parading Chiwendu Josaiah, disclosed that he was the mastermind of text messages to foreign embassies in Nigeria threatening them of possible attacks by Boko Haram.

According to the SSS, quoting from one of the numerous text messages allegedly sent by Chiwendu Josaiah to read, 'We are Boko Haram, we are coming for you', and claiming that the message was from suspected fake Boko Haram members to foreign embassies, which led some foreign embassies to have written warning letters to their nationals against coming to Nigeria, the SSS explained that 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, said he could not resist, as he operated under the disguise of being 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.

Other alleged terrorists named by the SSS include Kaduna-based Haruna Alhaji Hassan, whose operational name is Alhaji Madu Gana, Maurice Efe Lawrence and Chinwendu Josiah, who is presently in the custody of the State Security Services (SSS).