A human rights lawyer, Abdul Mahmud, has urged the nation’s security agencies to conduct intelligence debriefing of Nigerian evacuees from war-torn Sudan.
Mahmud gave the warning in a tweet on Thursday, hours after the first set of Nigerians — mostly students — stranded in Sudan returned home on Wednesday.
The lawyer said that medical examination of the evacuees was not enough.
He said that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Department of State Services (DSS) must conduct intelligence debriefing of the returnees to ensure that Nigeria is not exposed to terrorism as Sudan is a “hotbed of dangerous jihadists”.
Mahmud said, “Warning. Medical examination of the Sudanese evacuees is not enough. Proper intelligence debriefing should also be carried out by the SSS and NIA.
“Why? Sudan is a hotbed of dangerous jihadists. A 2019 USA Report pointed to ISIS facilitation networks in Sudan, affirming a 1997 US Report. ISGS – Islamic State in the Greater Sahara – is deeply rooted in Sudan.
“ISWAP, the most powerful branch of ISIS already operates in Nigeria.
“Let’s not sleepwalk into another national security disaster…Every evacuee should be checked against databases…”