This is coming at a time the United States Department is said to be considering adding the Boko Haram sect to the official list of terrorist organisations in the world.
Reliable intelligence sources disclosed that the old Sokoto axis is now home to a very violent arm of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb, which, during the last week, claimed responsibility for the bombing of the headquarters of the Algerian-led joint military command fighting the group in the Sahel region.
Contrary to reports that it was Boko Haram that kidnapped the hostages, Nigerian Tribune learnt that Maghreb group had shifted attention to Nigeria to expand its hostage taking operations, which was said to account for large part of Al-Qaeda operational fund worldwide.
According to the source, more foreigners may be targeted in the North with possibility of extension into some southern zones, because of the belief that Nigeria is a centre for big foreign construction and oil operations.
It was learnt that while Boko Haram continues its field operations across the North, the Maghreb group would focus on hostage taking to fund terrorist activities of both groups within and outside Nigeria.
Reports had indicated that between 2010 and 2011, the Maghreb Al-Qaeda raked in close to fifty million dollar in ransom payments from kidnapped Europeans, part of which were reportedly contributed to the worldwide jihadist movement.
The presence of the group in Nigeria, credible security sources noted, was not just to support Boko Haram but to expand the source of revenue for the worldwide jihadist movement, which had suffered some funding setbacks from Western Europe and Middle East.
http://odili.net/news/source/2012/mar/12/619.html
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