Yemisi Izuora
Communications Minister Isa Pantami, has denied reports linking him to Al-Qaeda terrorists.
Pantami made this clarification on Monday, April 12, via a series of tweets.
He stated, “My lectures against the doctrines and all other evil people have been available for over 15 years, including debates that endangered my life against many criminals in Nigeria. If you can’t understand Hausa, get an objective Hausa speaker to translate for you objectively.
“On the issue of NIN-SIM Verification to fight insecurity, there is no going back. Our priority as GOVERNMENT based on the provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Section 14(2)b is SECURITY, not just economy. For sure, no going back at all. Let the sponsors continue
“FYI all, by the Almighty, no amount of intimation will stop the good policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR on security.
“FINALLY: If you are yet to verify your SIM using NIN, do it very soon, b4 our next action. Criminals are feeling the heat.”
There were earlier stories quoting unverifiable report, that the Minister was a very close confidante of the late Mohammed Yusuf; the killed leader of Boko Haram with whom he allegedly shared jihadist doctrines.
The report also insinuated that the Minister had ties with Abu Quatada al Falasimi as well as other Al-Qaeda leaders that he revered; which he spoke glowingly of in several of his videos on YouTube.
According to the report, In one of his narratives, Pantami had eulogised Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi as a great leader. Al-Zarqawi had joined the Al-Qaeda group; after emigrating to Afghanistan at the end of the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the World Trade Centre in America.
Pantami, in one of his statements, allegedly wrote about Abu Musab; “Under the Osama’s leadership; he became the unit commander of the army of Al-Qaeda; with the support of the Commander of the loyal Maula Umar (Taliban leader).
“It was after the September 11 attack that he suffered serious leg injury; and was thus taken to Iraq for treatment where he spent a long time recovering.”
But the Minister dismissed the publication and also described it as false through a presidential media aide, Bashir Ahmed
In his tweet on Monday, April 12, Ahmad dismissed the claim as false; insisting that the local media house intentionally avoided verifying the facts and also went ahead to mislead a lot of Nigerian readers.
He maintained that the Minister has never been on the US watchlist as falsely reported by the media house.