Indications emerged yesterday
that, with the listing of three
Boko Haram kingpins as
‘‘global terrorists’’, the United
States can deploy its drones to
take out the suspected
terrorists if there is any threat
to American interest.
A security expert, Max Gbanite,
who spoke to Leadership
Weekend from the US, said
that with the profiling of the
three men as global terrorists,
the country does not need any
pact with Nigeria before
moving against them.
But the office of the national
security adviser, NSA, quickly
rose to douse the tension
generated by the listing of the
three Nigerians as terrorists,
saying that the US was not
contemplating sending its
unmanned weapons to fish out
the suspected terrorists.
An impeccable source in the
office said that there was no
need by the US to move against
Nigeria since only three
leaders of the sect, and not
Boko Haram as a group, were
labelled as terrorists.
The source said, “Nigeria is a
sovereign nation and the US
cannot just deploy its drone
here because of three people.
Even if they were to do so, they
would have to seek the support
of the Nigerian security
establishment.”
The source pointed out that the
office of the NSA had
intervened and persuaded the
US to not brand the sect as a
terrorist organisation so as not
to expose other Nigerians to
undue hardship because of the
sins of a few elements.
“The US, which has been at the
forefront of global terrorism
fight, has taken it upon itself to
root out terrorism anywhere in
the world and we cannot stop
them. Initially, they wanted to
label Boko Haram as a whole
as a terrorist group but the
NSA intervened and they
changed their minds and
focused on the three
individuals.
“What that means is that the
three suspects cannot visit the
US without being arrested and
Nigerians have nothing to fear
following the designation of
the three persons as global
terrorists,” he said.
But Gbanite stated that the US
could do anything to fish them
out without resorting to
Nigeria.
He said, “The US can send its
special forces to pick these
people out with or without any
pact with Nigeria.”
Adding his voice to the
development, the executive
director of the Port Harcourt-
based Institute of Human
Rights and Humanitarian Law,
Mr. Anyakwee Nsirimuvu,
described the action of the US
as bad news for Nigeria and a
positive development for the
Americans.
Nigeria’s faltering image
received a further bashing on
Thursday with the formal
classification of three of the
leaders of the pernicious Boko
Haram sect as global terrorists
by the United States of
America.
Meanwhile, the US has issued a
new warning to its citizens to
avoid travelling to certain
parts of Nigeria because of
escalating violence.
The embassy, in a statement
posted on its website, advised
its citizens to maintain a high
sense of vigilance and personal
security awareness near
Nigerian government facilities,
diplomatic missions, large
gatherings, hotels, markets and
malls, and places of worship.
The embassy also advised the
staff to be aware of current
situations including curfews,
travel restrictions, states of
emergency in the areas they
are in or plan to travel to.
In particular, the embassy
warned the citizens of the risk
of travel to Nigeria, asking
them to go on only essential
trips.

www.leadership.ng/nga/articles/28025/2012/06/23/terrorist_listing_us_can_deploy_drones_experts.html