By Adesakin Adefemi
Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja, has expressed Tehran’s readiness to assist the country in its ongoing fight against terrorism. Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, Raja emphasized that Islamic groups in Nigeria maintain only spiritual and cultural ties with Iran, not political ones.
This offer comes amidst allegations by Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, that Iran sponsors Islamic movements in Nigeria and West Africa as part of efforts to spread terror globally. Freeman’s remarks were made after protests by the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) over the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, during recent US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
Raja dismissed the allegations, saying recent support rallies by Shi’ites and other groups for Iran in Nigeria stemmed from Muslims’ spiritual connection to the late Iranian leader. He 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,” Raja 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.”
Raja emphasized 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,” he said.
The IMN media forum had earlier rejected Freeman’s claims, calling them “possible false-flag terrorism by the Israelis”. Ammar Rajab, chairman of the forum, said it was “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”.
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been appointed as Iran’s new Supreme Leader, succeeding his father. The 56-year-old cleric is expected to maintain a hardline stance, with a confrontational approach towards the US and Israel.
Nigeria has been grappling with terrorism, particularly in the northeast, where Boko Haram and ISWAP have been waging a brutal insurgency. The country’s security forces have made efforts to combat the groups, but the situation remains challenging.
Raja’s offer of assistance comes as Nigeria seeks to strengthen its counterterrorism efforts, and the international community is watching the situation closely.
The development is likely to have implications for regional security and Nigeria’s relations with Iran and other countries in the Middle East.
