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Nigerian Taliban sez the fight will go on
An Islamic militant detained by Nigerian police over an armed uprising says the self-styled "Taliban" group wants to overthrow the government because it has sold out to the West. Ismail Abdul-Fatai, a chemical engineering student of Lagos State Polytechnic, was arrested with other militants after a week-long series of attacks on police stations and government buildings in five northeastern towns two weeks ago. Nineteen members of group have been killed in a massive security sweep of the area near the Niger border, which is now under army control. "Our group has definitely suffered a setback, but our objective of fighting corruption by institutionalising Islamic government must be achieved very soon," Abdul-Fatai told Reuters at the police station in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, on Monday. "Our aim is to cause serious confusion and overthrow the government of infidels headed by the crop of present politicians who have sold us out to the West to the detriment of Islam," he added, before being whisked away by men in white coats police.
| "We got turbans, and we got automatic weapons! We'll tell you what's right or wrong, 'cuz God talks to us and not you!" |
The governor of neighbouring Yobe state, where most of the violence occurred, said he had found a partial list naming 54 core members of the group, which emblazoned "Taliban" on one of the cars used in the attacks.
| Boy, was that a bright move! I guess we're not talking about the dean's list here... |
The rebellion has set alarm bells ringing in Western embassies in Nigeria, particularly because of the "Taliban" label, which they fear could indicate the involvement of Osama bin Ladenâs al Qaeda network in Nigeria for the first time. "Up to now it seems this group was responding to local concerns, although they were clearly inspired to some extent by a global movement," said a senior Western diplomat in Nigeria, adding that intelligence on the group was thin.
| I'd guess there are similar groups, with different names, all along Islam's bloody border... |
Abdul-Fatai said he did not recognise secular law. "There is only one legal system we know and that is the one based on the Koran," he said.
| Give 'em an inch of shariah and they'll try and take the whole state... |
Security sources say al Qaeda members are believed to be at large in Somalia and have used Kenya as a base for planning attacks in the region. The loose-knitted network also has support from Islamic guerrillas in north Africa, but has made little headway in west Africa so far, despite a huge Muslim population.
Posted by: Dan Darling 2004-01-14 |
