Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) terrorists may resort to the use of COVID-19 as a weapon of war, a security expert has warned. David Otto, a UK-based counter-terrorism expert, raised the alarm in an insightful article mad available toNews Expressyesterday, Monday, August 17, 2020.

He advised the Nigerian Government and its regional allies to move quickly to prevent such a tragic development. Otto wrote in the article:

“Recently, the Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retired) while briefing the press following the country’s National Security Council meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, he among other things stated that the President has directed for the rejigging and reengineering of Nigeria’s security architecture. This is rightly so, given the growing concerns about the security situation in the country and its effect on Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts. Therefore, as the government rejigs its security apparatus for optimal performance, there are indications that, desperate terrorist groups may take advantage of these changes to also rejig on their tactics and modus operandi.
“It is necessary for national and regional states at the Lake Chad region fighting ISIS and Al-Qaeda linked groups to consider COVID-19 pandemic as a factor and plan for the worst case scenario to respond more proactively and effectively.

“This is more important in the wake of the Nigerian military ground and aerial offensives against ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadistss strongholds. The troops have dealt devastating blow to the terrorists at various locations within Sambisa forest, the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin, the Mandara mountains, North-East and recently in the north western geo-political regions of Nigeria. There are indicators that the terrorists are at their wits end very desperate for survival and relevant and may up their game. Consequently, there is every likelihood that the heavily weakened and struggling Boko Haram terrorists and their ISWAP factions may choose to weaponize the corona virus pandemic as Biological warfare tactic.

“Accordingly, the aim is to disable and slow down the operational capacity of the Nigerian Army, regional troops and other sister agencies in the frontline. It is possible that IDPs camps could become the biggest and weakest targets for infection by Boko Haram and ISWAP jihadist groups ostensibly to delay and frustrate any plans for relocation of displaced persons back to their ancestral communities, towns and villages.They may also target aids workers and delivery partners considered by jihadist as indirect and direct representatives of western civilization. If COVID-19 is weaponized, it may spread and hit these strategic targets through human or other form of infection mechanism and affect frontline operational engagement and humanitarian efforts in the region. As the Federal government, north east and north west affected state governments engage in re-strategizing on how best to improve security interventions in the complex and diverse crime-terror nexus in jihadists and criminal hotspots, all necessary efforts on awareness, vigilance, safeguards must be put in place to plan and prepare for any COVID-19 outbreak deployed as a biological warfare in the theatre of war.

“Boko Haram and ISWAP jihadists groups are facing real operational pressure from the Nigerian military and regional Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) security services. Consequently, desperation has badly affected their logistics, operational and criminal activities. The need to survive is pushing these Al-Qaeda and ISIS linked groups with twisted ideologies and perceived goals to resort to the use of COVID-19 virus. They might use it as an effective weapon against frontline troops and other stakeholders labeled as near and far enemies. Any deliberate spread of COVID-19 by jihadist using fighters, innocent women and children will further cripple the already impacted Nigerian and regional economy. No nation can sustain a complex insurgency if the economy is crippled as a result of frequent lockdown measures.

“The best time for such eventuality is now. There are several classified effective methods of designing and implementing a robust preventive and response and counter measures with warning indicators. A special ear on the ground and awareness framework is one proven methodology amongst other multi-agency approaches that could be assessed. If you see something say something – this is the people’s war to win and all hands must be on deck.”