Nigeria cautions parents to be vigilant against ISIS app

The Nigerian Information Minister in an exclusive interview with Africanews says an alert issued over an ISIS app was critical in the fight against jihadists.

“I think the whole world should be worried about it, because it is an app that is very attractive, with very bright images but they use guns as some form of games,” said Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

Some young people according to the minister have fallen prey to these indoctrination on social media, raising fears that the app disguised in a form of a video game to indoctrinate young people into jihad could worsen the already fragile situation.

The app called ‘Huroof’ which first surfaced in May this year is designed to teach children Arabic alphabets but has jihadist terminologies with tutorials on the weapons. Reports indicate it is not available on Google for download and will work on Android devices.

“You see because we have an insurgency at hand which we are battling and we believe that we need to embark on de-radicalization of our youth, so we need to warn them in advance and parents that these are some of the subtle means of indoctrination,” Mohammed added.

However, Lai Mohammed would not state the government’s next move concerning the app.

“Don’t forget that cyber war is part of fighting terrorism, but one of the most important steps is what we have done which is to alert parents. I don’t think I am at liberty to tell you Nigeria’s next line of action, that’s for the security agencies to decide,” said Mohammed .

He added that they would not take any chances and will expose any means of Islamists to radicalize the country’s youth.

The West Africa nation has been battling an insurgency waged by Boko Haram in the north eastern part of the country spilling over to neighbouring countries Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

The insurgency has left dozens dead, kidnapped or fleeing their homes notably the kidnapping of more than 200 girls from the Chibok Secondary School in April 2014 in Borno state, north-eastern Nigeria.