Nigerian students studying abroad are being radicalized by agents of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), an extremist Islamist rebel group that controls territory in Iraq and Syria.
According to Pulse, the shocking revelation was made by the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr. Mike Omeri who cited intelligence reports.
Speaking during the weekly briefing on the war against terrorism in the country, Omeri said the Islamist group is using social media and other sources to target susceptible students.
“At this point, the centre wishes to alert the nation of intelligence reports, indicating the radicalisation of our youths through the social media and a variety of other sources,” he said.
Omeri who is also the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) said students from riach homes are the main targets of the extremists.
“The reports show that these youths who are mostly children of the rich and affluent are being recruited into ISIS.”
He asked parents with wards abroad to keep an eye on them before they get radicalized.
“We, therefore, call on parents and guardians, especially those whose wards are schooling abroad, to closely monitor the activities of these students who may be susceptible to the antics of the promoters of the ISIS ideology,” he added.
It will be recalled that the alleged mastermind of ddeadly Nyanya twin blast that killed nearly 100 Nigerians and left scores physically damaged for life, Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, was radicalized while studying abroad.
The British born terrorist is an indigene of Orokam, Ogbadibo LGA, Benue State, Nigeria and was a student of Arabic Language at the International University of Africa, Sudan.
With this warning by the NIC DG, parents in the North would be worried, given that many Northern states send their students to countries noted for radicalisms.
In July 2014, the Sokoto state government said it will spend about N800 million to sponsor four hundred and twenty (420) students abroad.
Of this number, 160 will be studying at in Sudan, same country where Ogwuche studied.
