The Federal Government on Sunday described the allegation by a United States-based non-profit organisation, Global Advocates for Terrorism Eradication (GATE) that its officials were behind terrorism in the country as a needless and disgusting distraction.
GATE had in a petition to the US Secretary of State, Antony J. Blinke, asked Washington to designate some Nigerian government officials as sponsors of terrorism.
The group described the killings, abductions, and other violent crimes in Nigeria as “state-sponsored terrorism.”
However, in a statement issued by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, the government said the GATE allegation was orchestrated by those seeking to weaken the ongoing massive onslaught against terrorists and bandits in the country.
He also branded the organisation “as a pesky irritant that should be ignored because it is confused and irresponsible.”
The minister said: “This organisation called GATE is not even worth the ink with which its name is written.
“How can a serious organisation accuse a government that is tackling the twin evil of terrorism and banditry with an uncommon determination of sponsoring terrorism?
”Is it not curious that this organisation has chosen this particular time, when terrorists are either surrendering in droves or running helter-skelter, as a result of a renewed offensive against them by the military, to orchestrate a distraction?
“What could be GATE’s motive if not to weaken the fight against terror and banditry?
”GATE and its sponsors should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves and should quit trying to distract our gallant troops who are doing everything possible, including making the supreme sacrifice, to keep our country safe.”
Mohammed said the fact that GATE relied on the words of a former Nigerian Navy intelligence officer to make the allegation has shown the hollowness of its claim.
He added: “In the fight against terrorism, Nigeria has availed itself creditably by tackling home-grown terrorists with links to global terrorist organizations.
“We make bold to say that no administration in Nigeria has risen to the challenge of terrorism like the Buhari administration has done.
The acquisition of a myriad of platforms, the boost to the morale of our fighting forces, and the leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari have combined to put our gallant troops in good stead.
“These have also helped the troops to frontally confront and put on the run the terrorists. Fittingly, Nigeria’s efforts at tackling terrorism have been hailed globally.
“What our gallant men and women need at this time is the support, encouragement, and prayers of all, not the distracting antics of a relevance-seeking, feckless organisation masquerading as a terrorism eradication advocate.”