Lagos Residents React as US Links Abandoned Home to Alleged ISIS Financier
- Residents of an Agege community said they were shocked after the United States identified an abandoned property as the listed address of a Nigerian accused of financing ISIS
- Neighbours said the bungalow had remained unoccupied for years and insisted they had never witnessed any criminal or extremist activity in the area
- Residents urged security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation while ensuring innocent people were not wrongly targeted because of the allegations
Residents of an Agege neighbourhood in Lagos have expressed shock after the United States identified an abandoned house in the area as the listed address of a Nigerian accused of helping to finance the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS.
People living on Abimbola Street in the Morkaz area said they had no knowledge of the suspect and insisted the quiet community had never shown signs of extremist activity.
Source: Getty Images
The property identified by US authorities has reportedly remained unoccupied for years, Punch reports.
Why is Agege property under scrutiny?
A visit to the address revealed a deserted bungalow with locked iron gates, rusted fittings and no evidence that anyone currently lives there. The building, located between neighbouring houses, appeared neglected and was difficult to identify because it displayed no visible house number.
The development follows sanctions announced by the United States against Mukhtar Adamu Muhammad and three Bureau De Change firms.
American authorities alleged that the individual and the companies were involved in moving money through a financial network linked to ISIS operations across West Africa and other regions.
Although the address has now attracted international attention, residents said they were taken by surprise and struggled to believe such allegations could be connected to their street.
What are residents saying about allegations?
A food vendor, identified as Hajia, said she had never witnessed anything that suggested criminal or terrorist activity in the area.
“This area is mainly occupied by Hausa people, but I have never seen anything that would suggest criminal activities or terrorist operations here.
“What surprised me the most is how America even knew Abimbola Street and the exact house number. I am standing at Number 44 now, but I don’t know anybody called Muhammad Mukhtar. I have lived here for six years,” she said.
Another resident, Alhaji Suleiman Tijani, described the community as peaceful and said the building had remained empty for a long period.
“There has never been any history of violence or radical activities here. This is a quiet community.
“That particular house has been unoccupied for a long time. Sometimes, I noticed people would come around to clean the place, stay for a few days and leave, but they have never carried out any act that could raise suspicion,” he said.
Tijani added that police patrols appeared to increase after the US announcement, although he said security personnel did not question residents or make any arrests.
Source: Original
Has security presence changed in area?
Another resident, identified simply as Auwal, admitted he initially dismissed the reports until hearing them discussed on the radio. He feared innocent people could become victims of security operations linked to the investigation.
“My fear is that security agencies may start coming here to arrest innocent residents while searching for this person,” Auwal said.
Not everyone in the neighbourhood was aware of the allegations. Fashion designer Angela Nwoboku said daily life had continued without disruption and credited the nearby Markaz Islamic Centre for helping maintain peace within the community.
“I had not heard about it before now because nobody informed me, and I have not seen it in the news. I have not noticed any change in this area. Everything has remained the way it has always been. People go about their normal businesses peacefully.”
She urged authorities to carry out a thorough investigation before reaching any conclusions.
“I want the government to carry out proper due diligence and establish whether the owners or occupants of that house truly have anything to do with terrorism. It is important that innocent people are not wrongly labelled because of where they live,” she added.
Heavily armed bandits kill 16 vigilantes
Similarly in another story, Legit.ng reported that at least 16 vigilante members have been reported dead and more than forty residents abducted following a series of coordinated attacks by bandits across several communities in Mashegu Local Government Area of Niger state.
The incidents occurred between Sunday, November 9 and Thursday, November 13 and have forced many villagers to flee their homes.
Source: Legit.ng
