Solid minerals attracting terrorists to Nigeria – Ayade

Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State on Thursday said the huge solid minerals deposit in Nigeria is attracting terrorists to the country.

While speaking on Channel Television‘s Sunrise Daily on Thursday morning, which was monitored by our reporter, Ayade said: “Security has a very huge international dimensions.”

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“Nigeria has so many essential elements and metals of economic interests. So, the solid minerals deposit has become a source of challenge to the nation.

“Nigeria has a large deposit of tantalite, they have led, they have zink, they have gold, uranium, the deposits are so huge. Most times in Africa when you have such a deposit, it’s just an invitation for crisis because they [foreign actors] will keep you unsettled so that they can do the exploration.

“The collapse of Afghanistan means that ISWAP sees West Africa as their own God-given province.”

He said the agenda is to wipe out all residents of the sub-region as they see Muslims and Christians of this area as infidels.

“So, they have the policy to occupy West Africa and with the collapse of Afghanistan, they now have access to power, they have a sovereign nation called their own, they deal on drugs, sell those drugs to raise funds, buy arms and prosecute a huge war,” he added.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari had done well to keep Nigeria together despite these attacks.

“ISWAP has so much capacity today – Boko Haram linked to Al-Qaeda, ISWAP linked to ISIS are all targeting Nigeria, her natural resources,” Ayade stressed.

He said the security challenges in Nigeria were not a result of leadership failure but a global issue with an international dimension with the intention of keeping Nigeria unstable.

“You need some international strategic and security connections to address the issue. This is far beyond the President and the capacity of the President of Nigeria,” he said.

He said the nation must cry out to the international community and seek sophisticated digital and no-contact technology to address the security challenges in Nigeria.

He also said when he becomes the president, he will build strategic alignment with countries including Turkey and Israel and embrace technology.

Ayade said solving the security, economy and power challenges in Nigeria will be top on his agenda when he becomes the president.