The Presidency has responded to claims that it had unilaterally enrolled Nigeria into a 34 country bloc comprising mostly Muslim countries which is set up to fight ISIS and other Islamic terrorists.
The Saudi State agency had published a list which included Nigeria. The publication led to outcry from Nigerians and the Christian Association of Nigeria also kicked against the move.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu has however stated Nigeria was merely mulling joining the military bloc and was not yet a member.
“Nigeria has been formally invited to be a member of the alliance and President Buhari is looking into it,” Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu told Reuters, in the first official comment from Abuja. “A decision to join has not been taken yet. Nigeria is not in or out.”
Apart from Nigeria, other countries mentioned in the alliance include Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, the Palestinians, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
The Presidency has responded to claims that it had unilaterally enrolled Nigeria into a 34 country bloc comprising mostly Muslim countries which is set up to fight ISIS and other Islamic terrorists.
The Saudi State agency had published a list which included Nigeria. The publication led to outcry from Nigerians and the Christian Association of Nigeria also kicked against the move.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu has however stated Nigeria was merely mulling joining the military bloc and was not yet a member.
“Nigeria has been formally invited to be a member of the alliance and President Buhari is looking into it,” Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu told Reuters, in the first official comment from Abuja. “A decision to join has not been taken yet. Nigeria is not in or out.”
Apart from Nigeria, other countries mentioned in the alliance include Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, Pakistan, the Palestinians, Qatar, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
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