Yihadismo en Nigeria
Publicado: 03 Sep 2009 00:27
El nigeriano-talibán, recibiendo entrenamiento en Afganistán sobre fabricación de bombas, reconversión al Islam y cheques con cantidades enormes.
Nigeria militant describes training in Afghanistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090902/ap_ ... ilitants_3
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria – A member of a radical Nigerian Islamist sect that attacked security forces in July, unleashing a bloodbath in which 700 people died, said Wednesday he received bomb-making training in Afghanistan.
Abdul Rasheed, 23, told The Associated Press that he had been a member of the Boko Haram sect for six months and was given $500 cash by his leader to go to Afghanistan and train in bomb-making. Rasheed spoke Wednesday at police headquarters while in custody.
Boko Haram operated in northern Nigeria and Rasheed's account, which could not be immediately verified, would be the first to tie the group to Islamic insurgents in Afghanistan.
Police commissioner Ibrahim Abdu said Rasheed was arrested Tuesday with bomb-making materials, arms and ammunition while attempting to flee the country.
Rasheed said he was a Christian before he was convinced by the sect leader he called Uztazh Mohammed Yusuf to change his name and convert.
"He appointed me to become a bomb expert that will be fully trained in bomb making in Afghanistan," Rasheed said.
Boko Haram — translated as "Western education is sacrilege" — seeks the imposition of strict Islamic Shariah law in Nigeria, a multi-religious country that is a major oil producer and Africa's most populous nation.
"I was given $500 cash by our leader to go to Afghanistan and train in bomb-making. After the training to become an expert in bomb-making, a check of $5.5 million was also issued to me, but I did not cash it," Rasheed said.
However, when asked if he could produce the check, Rasheed said, "The check is with my other documents in Yola before I was arrested by the police with our leader's SUV vehicle."
Abdu said Rasheed was arrested in Yola, the Adamawa state capital, following a tip from local residents and surveillance by the police.
He said other arms and bomb-making equipment were found on the suspect, including seven rocket-propelled grenades, 20 homemade pistols, and knives.
Boko Haram militants attacked a police station in Bauchi state July 26. Violence quickly spread to three other states before Nigerian forces retaliated, storming the group's compound in Maiduguri.
Boko Haram is also known as the Nigerian Taliban. No direct link to al-Qaida has emerged but the bloodshed came amid mounting concern about al-Qaida affiliates' ability to cross desert borders of North Africa. Many Boko Haram members were reportedly from neighboring Niger.