ISIS supporters in Nigeria get visas from Turkish embassy –Syrian envoy

The Head of Mission, Syria embassy in Nigeria, Dr. Shafik
Daiyob has said that the Nigerian supporters of the Islamic
State of Syria and Iraq terrorist group obtained visas to join
the group in Syria from the Turkish embassy in Nigeria.
Daiyob explained that many ISIS sympathisers who were
given visas by the Turkish embassy entered Syria illegally
through Turkey.
The envoy who spoke through an interpreter said this in an
interview with our correspondent in Abuja on Friday.
The son of a former Chief Justice of Nigeria had obtained
Turkish visa and crossed the Turkish border to join ISIS in
Syria along with his family in February, 2015. Nothing has
been heard about the ISIS sympathiser till date.
But the Turkish embassy said it won’t respond to the
accusation until it is published.
The Secretary/ Personal Assistant to the Turkish
ambassador, Wunmi Ayantade, told our correspondent on
the telephone that the ambassador said he would react only
when he sees the published report of the accusations
against his mission.
She said, “I have conveyed your request for reaction to the
ambassador, but he said he would not react until he sees the
published report (of the Syrian accusations) in the papers.”
Daiyob stated that a large part of the 920 km border between
Syria and Turkey is controlled by ISIS, terrorists, noting that
terrorists’ infiltration into Syria was facilitated by the Turkish
government.
He said, “I am not accusing Turkey, but the Turkish officials
have announced that and their utterances are quite clear on
this and most countries in the world know this fact. Even
United States has mounted pressure on Turkey to stop
facilitation of terrorist organisations into Syria, it is not a
secret, it’s well known all over the world.”
“Most of these ISIS sympathisers were from Nigeria, they
were given the Turkish visas here in Nigeria, they are given
visas to Turkey not Syria. Those who applied to our embassy
are not ISIS sympathisers and they don’t share that ideology.
Even those Nigerian supporters of ISIS that were published
in the papers reached Syria through Turkey.”
When asked to explain how he knew that visa applicants to
Syria were not terror suspects and that Turkey was
facilitating movement of suspected terrorists to Syria, Daiyob
said his mission was experienced in the matter.
“For Nigerians, they are required to state why they are going
to Syria, their sponsor, introduction letter from the
government or private company the applicant is working
with, information about where the person would stay in Syria
and so on. The information would be sent to Damascus for
approval before the visa is issued. This process doesn’t take
more than two weeks,” the head of mission narrated.
According to him, majority of the terrorists in Syria entered
the country through Turkey and Jordan by air, sea or land,
stressing that Turkey is a crossing point for the insurgents.
He said, “Turkish/Syrian border is about 920 km and a large
part of the border is under the control of terrorists supported
by the Turkish government with support and facilitation from
the Turkish government. That was how Turkey became a
crossing point for majority of terrorists who come from all
over the world.”
Asked if the embassy’s visa process is foolproof, the envoy
hinted that it could be breached, “but till now, we have not
received such case or breach.”
He expressed the support of his country to Nigeria, stressing
that the two countries needed to collaborate to fight the
security challenges facing them.
According to him, Syria has wide experience in fighting
insurgency, which he said Nigeria could benefit from.
The Pakistani Ambassador to Nigeria, Lt. Gen. Agha Farooq
(retd.) noted that Nigeria was a victim of Boko Haram and
not the source of the insurgency, noting that Pakistan was
also a victim and not the source of terrorism.
The envoy stated that his mission had issued more than
4,000 visas this year, noting that they were mainly for
businessmen and those going for medical treatment, adding
that the applicants were mostly Christians.