Former Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, has said terrorist groups operating in Nigeria should not be regarded as representatives of Islam, arguing that their actions contradict the religion’s teachings.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Ejiofor addressed attempts by some terrorist groups to justify their activities using religion. He said available studies indicate the groups do not practice Islam in the same way as mainstream Muslims.
“They don’t believe in Islam as other people do. They don’t even pray as they are supposed to or observe the ethics of Islam,” he said.
Ejiofor added that although some terrorist groups claim they want to Islamize Nigeria, their views should not be seen as representing the wider Muslim community. He stressed that many Muslims reject their activities and should not be associated with the crimes committed by the insurgents.
He said the attackers have become criminal elements whose violence affects people across religious and ethnic lines, noting that Christians, Muslims and members of different ethnic groups have all suffered from terrorist attacks. Ejiofor urged Nigerians to avoid viewing the country’s security challenges solely through a religious lens and called for national unity and sustained collaboration among security agencies and international partners to combat terrorism.
