Nigeria's Boko Haram has links with al-Qaeda affiliate, probe committee says

Nigerian terror group, Boko Haram, has links with international terror groups,

 including an al-Qaeda affiliate, a report by the presidential fact-finding 

committee on the abducted Chibok girls has said. The report was 

submitted to former president Goodluck Jonathan before he left office

 in 2015, but was never made public.

Even before the 27-member committee chaired by retired brigadier

 general Ibrahim Sabo was set up in 2014, there were reports that

 Boko Haram had links with other terrorist groups in the world.

"It is on record that Boko Haram has regional and international links 

with Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), an Al-Qaeda affiliate, 

and has cooperated with other terrorist groups," the 50-page report obtained

by Premium Times Nigeria stated. The committee had recommended in its 

report that a collaborative and cooperative regional approach, similar to the 

one adopted about 15 years back by Economic Community of West African 

States (Ecowas), be implemented to effectively eliminate terrorists operating 

in and around Nigeria.

The committee had also urged the government to engage in talks with and 

seek cooperation from neighbouring countries as well as multilateral organisations

 like African Union, Ecowas and United Nations in countering home-grown terrorism. 

The committee had also recommended that the government collaborate with 

countries that are already assisting in anti-terrorism movements. The committee recommendations also included the use of Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategy

 (RCTS) in Nigeria.

Nigeria's Boko Haram has allegiance with al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Qaeda in the Islamic 

Maghreb (AQIM), stated a 50-page report by a fact-finding committee that probed the 

Chibok school girls' abduction - File Photo of Boko Haram flagGetty

The committee had made several other recommendations pertaining to 

issues like the Nigerian border posts in controlling cross-border movements 

of terrorists, effective and safe usage of Youth Volunteer groups, also known 

Civilian Joint Task Force, JTF, in the North East region,

The committee had also recommended that the foreign affairs ministry 

sensitise the international community on the issues of Human Rights and 

Rules of Engagement (ROE) in case Nigeria needs to re-strategise its current 

counter-terrorism approach and adopt a harsher one.