Afghanistan Taliban takeover: How di mata take concern Nigeria?

“Although some pipo believe say di war on terror go-go down as US dey leave Afghanistan, di threat wey dem suppose comot don begin rise for my continent.”

Dis na di words of Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari wey im release di same day wey Islamist/nationalist group Taliban capture Afghanistan capital, Kabul.

Inside, di former military leader lament how di western powers no dey provide enough support to di many African kontris wey extreme militant groups dey show pepper – like Nigeria, from di hand of Boko Haram for di north-eastern regions.

Di worry of oga Buhari say di west dey comot hand for di fight against global terrorism na valid one, for different-different reasons.

Make we torchlight dem, because e get potential to touch Nigeria for body.

‘Africa na di new ground’

Although terrorism don dey Africa tey-tey, oga Buhari dey right to “express anxiety” inside im 15 August article say Africa na di new ground for global terrorism, especially now wey Afghanistan don fall to di Taliban.

Na so ogbonge international lawyer Prof. Akin Oyebode tell BBC on Friday.

According to Oyebode, Africa na wia global terrorists like to flex dia muscle, because of three major reasons: di ‘weak’ goments wey boku for African kontris, borders wey no strong kakaraka and how e dey easy for dem to ‘enta’ di system.

One of di dangers wey Oyebode fear dey happun currently near Nigeria, for di Sahel region (wey include neighbours Niger and Chad), wia militants wey dey linked to international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and di Islamic State, don begin gain ground and takeover more areas.

Dis na after French president Emmanuel Macron announce for June say dem go reduce dia on-di-ground soldiers wey dey fight militants for di region – almost like wetin US (and western allies) do for Afghanistan months after.

“We go likely see big-big acts of terrorism worldwide wit possible huge gains from weak or failed political systems for Africa, Asia and around di world,” na wetin Political Science lecturer Usman Solomon Ayegba write about how US withdrawal from Afghanistan go affect peace.

Wetin go happen if extremists groups for di Sahel, Nigeria and oda places see di recent Taliban takeover as encouragement?

“[Di Talban takeover] go definitely boost di morale of terrorists around di world, E go assure dem say no mata how long e take, someday, dia dream to force dia belief ontop nations and regions around di world dey possible and achievable,” Na so Ayegba of Obafemi Awolowo University, one of Africa top university based in Nigeria write.

Taliban connection wit Boko Haram/ISWAP

Di religion wey Taliban dey practice, na di Sharia form of Islam.

But many pipo belief say na di strictest form of Sharia di Taliban – and Boko Haram/ISWAP for Nigeria – dey follow, wia for instance dem believe say woman no suppose comot without man by her side, and even then must wear cloth to cover most of her body.

Also, like Boko Haram/ISWAP, di Taliban no support make young girls attend school if e no be Quranic type.

Woman dey protest Taliban take-over of Afghanistan for New Delhi India

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Woman dey protest Taliban take-over of Afghanistan for New Delhi India

On Wednesday 18 August, di Nigeria goment say di war wey Boko Haram dey fight na “ideological war” like di Taliban own, according to di minister of information and culture Lai Mohammed. E go on to say dis “na dis type wey dey dey hard to defeat”.

“No be regular war… di insurgents no dey follow normal rules and in most times, dem dey make women and children become victims”.

Finally, di concept of Jihad, di belief say Muslims fit fight war against anybody wey no follow dia religion, na one wey di Taliban and Boko Haram militant groups dey practice. In dis way, di Taliban fit see Boko Haram and all oda extremist groups in Africa as fellow fighters, wey dem need to give support to.

Young Nigeria girls sidon dey collect Islamic education inside one of di Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp

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Young Nigeria girls sidon dey collect Islamic education inside one of di Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp

If Taliban support Boko Haram wit weapons…

Di oda tin to worry about na how di weapons – wey Taliban dey control now – fit begin find way enter di hand of militant groups for oda places Nigeria wia Boko Haram and ISWAP dey.

Reports say di Taliban take-over tins wey di US Army abandon inside Afghanistan as dem rush comot, including helicopters, airplanes, tanks and small arms.

While military tanks and aeroplanes fit dey hard to carry dash or sell to pesin wey dey anoda continent, small arms like pistols and grenades na di real problem for African goments wey dey battle extremists, including Nigeria.

According to one 2017 US goment report, America send nearly 600,000 small arms go Afghanistan between 2003 to 2016.

All dis small arms go be surplus for di Taliban, since na dem dey control goment now and no natural enemy dey.

Oyebode say although distance no go make am easy like that for weapons from faraway Afghanistan to enter di hand of Nigeria-based terrorist groups, na still concern for Nigerians because, according to di retired Nigerian lecturer, all e go take na for di Taliban to decide say dem wan begin support Boko Haram/ISWAP.

“Di Nigerian [military] dey complain say weapons and equipment no dey…but I no know weda Nigeria go get mind to stand against di Islamists if dem [di Islamists] begin enjoy di support of di Taliban,” Oyebode tok.

Afta di fall of Libya former leader Muammar Gaddafi for 2011, small weapons from di kontri begin enta di hands of not just Boko Haram terrorists but also alleged political thugs for dia use during di 2015 general elections.

Nigeria dey on di road toward anoda major elections in less dan two years time.

Taliban fighter for inside Kabul afta dem take-over

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Taliban fighter for inside Kabul afta dem take-over

…And money

To fight war – or even do terrorism work – you need money. Plenty money.

And di kain money wey sabi pipo torchlight say di Taliban get reach billions of dollars.

Afta di US defeat Taliban for 2001 and chase dem comot from power, dia money continue to grow; wit dis money, and dia control of di Afghan economy, di fear be say dem fit begin use dis wealth to support groups wey share di same extremist religious belief dem get – like ISWAP and Boko Haram.

One 2018 BBC Reality Check tori reveal say di money wey di Taliban get fit reach $1.5bn. By 2020.

Who fit say di Taliban no go give financial support to extremist groups across Africa including Al-Shaabab for di east, Al-Qaeda for di north and ISWAP for west?

E dey difficult to say wia Boko Haram and ISWAP dey get money wey dem dey use arrange weapons and carry out operations.

Financial support in di form of donations from ‘sympathisers’ home and abroad, remain one of di main suspected source and dis na something wey Prof Oyebode reason say Nigerians suppose dey concerned about.

President Buhari

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Buhari use im article take call on support from di west, say dem fit do more to provide “technical assistance, advanced weaponry, intelligence and ordinance” like how di US use to deal wit al-Shabaab for Somalia.

Wetin Nigeria fit do now?

Buhari use im article take call on support from di west, say dem fit do more to provide “technical assistance, advanced weaponry, intelligence and ordinance” like how di US use to deal wit al-Shabaab for Somalia.

Nothing dey to say di west, especially America, no fit come to Nigeria aid and use dia Stuttgart-based Africa Command (AFRICOM) to launch attacks against terrorists.

Nigeria na di largest black nation in di world, and therefore we fit say di way di kontri dey go, go determine di way Africa go follow.

Oyebode reason am say: Nigeria “geo-political position [and importance] go sweet US belle for dem to come do intervention”.

As for Usman, e believe say big-big kontris like UK and America no get mind to epp again, say di only tin dem dey find na wetin go benefit dem.

“Nobody go support you, except only you and us as Nigerians!” Usman caution.

“Africa no be priority [for di West],” even Buhari bin warn inside article.

Instead, di 78-year-old leader believe say economic growth hold di key to defeat terrorism.