The Federal Government of Nigeria has dismissed claims by the Turkish government that a new terrorist group, the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO), is active in the country, urging Nigerians not to panic.
The rebuttal follows a statement by Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, during a dinner in Abuja on Tuesday night to commemorate Turkey’s Democracy and National Unity Day. Poroy alleged that FETO, reportedly linked to the late Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, is operating in Nigeria under the guise of schools and healthcare services. “The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates,” Poroy said, adding that the group “still maintains its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.” He urged Nigerian authorities to remain vigilant.
However, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, refuted the claim in an interview on Wednesday. “There is no new terrorist group in Nigeria. There’s no need to panic,” Laka stated, dismissing the concerns raised by the Turkish envoy.
FETO is allegedly associated with Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who passed away in 2024 at the age of 83. Once an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Gulen was accused of orchestrating a failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016. His global network of schools, charities, and organizations was subsequently classified as a terrorist group by the Erdogan-led government, and Gulen was convicted in absentia for attempting to overthrow the Turkish state, though he denied the allegations.
While Gulen-affiliated institutions reportedly operate in over 160 countries, including Nigeria, there has been no public evidence or official acknowledgment linking these entities to terrorist activities within Nigerian territory. The Federal Government’s swift dismissal of the Turkish claim underscores its stance that no new terrorist threat exists in the country.
