Mahdavi Raja, Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, has expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist the country in its ongoing fight against terrorism. ...
Mahdavi Raja, Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, has expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist the country in its ongoing fight against terrorism.
Speaking during an interview on
Arise Television, Raja noted that Islamic groups in Nigeria maintain only
spiritual and cultural ties with Iran, not political ones.
On Friday, Michael Freeman, Israeli
ambassador to Nigeria, accused the Iranian government of sponsoring Islamic
movements in Nigeria and West Africa as part of efforts to spread terror
globally.
Freeman’s remarks came as members of
the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, staged protests
in several states over the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader,
during recent US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
“We’ve seen Iran spreading terror.
We’ve seen them developing a ballistic missile programme and a nuclear
programme. Nigeria has been on the receiving end of terrorism from Iran,”
Freeman said.
Addressing the allegations on
Sunday, Raja said recent support rallies by Shi’ites and other groups for Iran
in Nigeria stemmed from Muslims’ spiritual connection to the late Iranian
leader.
“After the assassination of our supreme
leader, there have been peaceful rallies, funerals, and mourning occasions.
“This does not mean that Iran is
defending those groups. It is a moral and spiritual connection because they are
Muslims, and we are Muslims.”
Raja added that Tehran has always
condemned terrorism in all forms and consistently expressed its readiness to cooperate
with governments or countries facing terrorism, including Nigeria.
“We are ready to lend a helping
hand. As an ambassador here, I tell Nigerian officials that we are ready to
assist in combating terrorism.
“We know that Nigeria faces threats
from Boko Haram, ISWAP, and others. We are ready to share our experience in
counterterrorism, as we have extensive experience in the region,” he said.
The envoy also emphasised that Iran
is a victim of terrorism, noting that its foreign ministry has repeatedly taken
positions against terrorist operations not only in Nigeria but also across
Africa and other continents.
“We are victims, and we are ready to
cooperate with African countries to combat terrorism, drawing from our
experience.
“We condemn terrorist attacks and
the crimes they have committed in Nigeria and across Africa multiple times,”
Raja said.
No comments