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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
“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.
Hours after the statement, the IMN media forum rejected Freeman’s claims, calling them “possible false-flag terrorism by the Israelis”.
“It is both inappropriate and unacceptable for the representative of a state widely found guilty of committing genocide and grave violations of international laws to lecture others about terrorism or security,” Ammar Rajab, chairman of the forum, said in a statement on Saturday.
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,” he said.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
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,” Raja said.
“We condemn terrorist attacks and the crimes they have committed in Nigeria and across Africa multiple times.”
counterterrorism,
Iran government,
Islamic movements in Nigeria,
