The United Nations (UN) has warned that Boko Haram terrorists were likely to launch attacks in parts of Nigeria during COVID-19 restrictions across the country.
According to the UN Department for Safety and Security, Boko haram could exploit the pandemic to launch attacks as the government could be distracted with containing the virus instead.
The agency however stated that such attacks could be averted if the right things security structures are put in place.
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The UN stated that Boko Haram was likely to attack critical national infrastructure within their spheres of operation using improvised explosive devices (IED).
It also alleged that the attacks will be used to distract the Nigerian Military away from it’s operations in the Northeast as well as gain wider acceptance.
“It is assessed that we are at the beginning of the security crisis characterised by a wide spectrum of interconnected crisis (civil unrest, crime and the increasing threat of terrorism), that were fuming for quite some time and now released by COVID-19 impact on the government and population,” the security report read.
“In this context, the critical infrastructure are considered any of economic or security entities and their premises (petrol industry installations, banks, governmental facilities, shopping malls, hotels, etc), at any location in the country, especially state capitals, including Lagos and Abuja.
“Though the UN in Nigeria is not the primary target for the terrorist activity, it is assessed that the UN can be impacted as collaterally (while visiting governmental installations, banks, shopping malls, e.t.c.), but also as the target of opportunity, if seen to be less protected (‘soft target’).”
The UN implored the Nigerian Government to review and activate security risk management measures across the country to forestall the impending attacks.