Four Pakistanis were detained by the Nigerian military on suspicion of engaging in terrorism-related operations, including as trafficking in weapons and providing rebel organizations in the northeastern region of the country with training.
Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, revealed the information to defense media during a briefing on Wednesday at the operational headquarters in Maiduguri.
According to Abubakar, initial inquiries showed that the foreigners were actively involved in the smuggling of weapons and in giving terrorist groups like the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram tactical and technical support.
He claimed that the threat presented by terrorist organizations such as ISWAP and JAS has greatly increased as a result of foreign mercenaries infiltrating the joint operations area.
“The recent arrest of four Pakistani nationals is instructive, as preliminary investigations indicate that they deal in arms and collaborate with terrorists.”
According to him, the presence of these foreign agents has made terrorist actions in the area more sophisticated and deadly, allowing organizations to use more cutting-edge strategies.
These strategies include improved improvised explosive devices (IEDs), military-style traps aimed at troops, and the use of drones for both monitoring and attacks.
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General Abubakar emphasized the necessity of a concerted global effort to stop the escalating threat of transnational terrorism.
He urged nations in the region to cooperate, share intelligence, and conduct more monitoring in order to break up the networks that support these threats.
“There must be an immediate and coordinated response to this concerning trend,” he stated. “The Nigerian state, not just the military, is at war with terrorists from Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.”
The identities of the Pakistani nationals who were arrested have not yet been made public by the military because investigations are ongoing.
