Mustapha Aminu, one of the members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimeena fii Bilaa dis Sudan (Vanguard for the protection of Muslims in Black Africa) terrorists group, recently arrested by detectives attached to the Inspector General of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), has opened up on their main aim.
The U.S. State Department, in February 2018, designated the group Ansarul Islam as a global terrorist group because of its history of launching attacks in Burkina Faso near the border with Mali.
The al Qaeda-linked terrorist group had previously carried out attacks and kidnappings, including that of westerners, across northern Nigeria.
The most recent attack was in mid-January 2020 when Ansaru claimed to have killed at least six people, kidnapped dozens, and destroyed several vehicles during an ambush along the Kaduna-Zaira highway in Kaduna State.
Mustapha Aminu and his younger brother Sahid, were among the nine suspects arrested for having committed various crimes in the Northern part of the country under the banner of the Ansarul Islam terrorists group.
Mustapha (21), during his interrogations with the Police, said the plan of the group is to take over Nigeria.
The two brothers alleged that they were forced to abandon school in 2015 and join a terrorist group.
Other suspects are Shuaibu Ahmadu, Aminu Shuaibu, Ishak Khalid, Yusuf Abubakar, Awal Umar, Abubakar Isah Muhammed, and Abubakar Mustapha, all of whom confessed to be active members of the group.
The terrorist group popularly known as Ansarul is said to have carried out the abduction of two expatriates working with Tricata Ltd.
They were also alleged to have participated in the abduction of Magajin Garin of Daura in Katsina State.
However, their ultimate goal is to take over Nigeria.
Mustapha said, “I am 21 and Sahid is my elder brother. We are from Kaduna State and were in the same College when my father forced us to drop out of school. I was 16 years and they said that I was too young to go to Libya. My father handed me over to one Mahmoud who taught me how to shoot and drive their operational vehicle.
“My job was to run errands till I am old enough to travel abroad for training. I normally assist them to buy food and sometimes watch over the people that were kidnapped.
“When I was converted, they told us that we were fighting against the Nigerian government. They made us believe that when we take over Nigeria, our families will become millionaires and own houses in Abuja.
“I was placed on a N100, 000 monthly allowance to stay in town and be running errands. It is also my responsibility to collect arms from our members in Sokoto. I will collect as much as possible and take to the bush.
“We do not pay him because everybody is working towards winning the war. Sometimes, they give me money to give him as gift. Last year, when the Police arrested my father, I swore that I would leave the group because I knew that Police were also looking for me. After some months, I became broke, so I decided to return to the group.
“I am sorry and I wish that my father did not withdraw me from school. I wanted to become a doctor and will still like to go back to school if given the opportunity. I do not know how police will end the activities of the group because we are everywhere.”
