Beware of ISWAP’s recruitment drive, MNJTF alerts traditional rulers, parents

The Multinational Joint Task Force, MNJTF, has said it has uncovered plans by the Islamic State of West Africa Province, ISWAP, to launch a new recruitment drive.

According to an MNJTF statement on Tuesday, the recruitment, expected in the coming months, will be through misinformation embedded with radicalisation programmes.

MNJTF, in the statement signed by its spokesman, Col. Timothy Antigha, called on traditional, religious, community leaders and parents to closely monitor their wards to prevent them from being recruited by the terrorist organisation.

According to Antigha, ISWAP is resorting to misinformation and propaganda to retain its sponsors, supporters and also impress potential recruits.

Antigha noted that ISWAP resorted to propaganda following its operational losses in the last couple of weeks, explaining that the terrorists in series of falsehoods contained in Issue 185 of its NAL-NABA Magazine of June 7, claimed to have attacked locations in Nigeria and Niger Republic.

Antigha said: “These claims are misleading, untrue and should, therefore, be disregarded by the public.

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“The reality is that in an effort to shore up its waning influence in the Lake Chad area, ISWAP instigated some skirmishes, which were all neutralised at heavy personnel and equipment costs.

“This can in no way justify the falsehoods contained in the ISWAP propaganda publication.

“In the light of the forgoing, it is important and urgent to warn the public that part of a recently discovered ISWAP deception plan is to continue on its current misinformation with the embedded radicalisation programme, as a prelude to launching a recruitment drive in the months to come.

“The ultimate aim is to find replacement among the population for the hundreds of terrorists killed by the MNJTF and national forces in the ongoing Operation Yancin Tafki.”

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