Ripples over Al Qaeda planned base in Nigeria

Al-Qaeda’s alleged plan to set up a command and control base in Nigeria is creating diplomatic ripples as Nigeria debunked the claim, last week, insisting that country is not a safe haven for anarchist groups. Indications, however, emerged that the pro-jihadist group may have chosen to set up its operational base in Nigeria in its terrorist war with America and the Western countries.
Britain’s intelligence MI5 had allegedly warned the prime minister, Mr. David Cameron, that Al-Qaeda wants to set up a command and control centre in Nigeria to gain access to the United Kingdom (UK) where there are dozensof flights from Lagos toLondon daily.
FG dismisses claim
Officials of Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja dismissed the claim in an interview with Sunday Vanguard, callingit a brilliant piece of fiction that suits the mood of the times. An official of the ministry, who pleaded confidentiality, said: “That report did not substantiate its claim but just preferred to cite the Boko Haram uprising to buttress it. It is a perfect conjecture of the author’s imagination.
It is obvious that hatersof Nigeria will capitalise on the Boko Haram incident to further dent the image of the country.” The official will not elaborate on why the FG has not issued an official statement on the claim that was published on July 4, 2011, saying “government does not conduct its operations based on media reports.”