Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters has dismissed recent claims by the Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, alleging the presence of FETO terrorists operating within the country.
Poroy, speaking in Abuja at an event marking Turkey’s Democracy and National Unity Day, claimed that individuals linked to the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) designated a terror group by Turkey are active in Nigeria under the cover of educational and healthcare institutions.
However, during a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday, Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said the allegations were not in line with Nigeria’s verified intelligence.
“The information from the person you are talking about, as far as Defence Headquarters is concerned, is an unofficial announcement,” Kangye told journalists. “Everybody is free to say whatever they want. There is freedom of information. Nigeria is an independent sovereign nation that can think and act for itself.”
Kangye emphasized that Nigeria would not be distracted by external narratives that lack substantiation from the country’s own intelligence services. He further cautioned against the dangers of circulating foreign claims that could compromise national unity or generate unnecessary suspicion.
The remarks come amid Turkey’s global campaign to shut down institutions linked to FETO, a movement led by exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating the failed 2016 coup attempt.
While Turkey has pressured several countries to act against the group, Nigeria’s military appears unshaken in its stance, maintaining that decisions on internal security must align with the nation’s sovereignty and verified intelligence.
As of now, there has been no official response from the Turkish Embassy in Nigeria regarding the military’s dismissal of the ambassador-designate’s statements.
