Ahmed Al-Assir is a known 47 year-old Lebanese Sunni Muslim extremist and radical cleric.He has distinguished himself as a Salafist and has attracted a lot of controversies from his actions as an activist against Hezbollah and Shias in Lebanon.
The charismatic cleric changed his appearance while attempting to flee to Egypt using a forged passport at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, Lebanon. Sources reveal that Al-Assir, was arrested on Saturday, August 15, with a fake Palestinian passport using the alias “Rami Abdul Rahman Taleb.” He had undergone physical changes in appearance and attire; with a shaved beard and new clothing style and facial modifications suggesting the use of plastic surgery. However, he could not get past authorities at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, Lebanon.
The well-known Islamic State sympathizer has been wanted by the Lebanese authorities since June 2013, after his supporters attacked an army checkpoint near his mosque, killing about 10 soldiers. The army responded with a massive attack on Assir’s headquarters two days later that left 18 soldiers dead along with Assir’s gunmen.
Al Assir’s visit to Nigeria
However, he was issued a visa to Nigeria. How is it possible that a known radical Muslim would be granted a visa into a country like Nigeria?
An anonymous Foreign Affairs staff noted that the biometric system in use for appraisal of intending visitors was not still applicable to the country in practice. According to the official, “While the measure tends to pre-empt influx of terrorists instead they depend on the use of a stop list for potential visa applicants.” “If we have a bank for storing the number of personal data which should be distributed to all our embassies; the prevailing spate of insecurity in the globe which has gone beyond just the antiquated stop list method would be checkmated.”
Factors lacking in Nigerian embassies’ visa procurement process
- The antiquated list mentioned does not have back up photographs and fingerprints.
- There are no adequate background checks on all visa requests, as no applicant appears for oral interview with visas even issued in absentia.
- Visa applications go through a third party state passport. They rarely verify addresses and telephone number(s) of the person inviting the visa applicant.
The real problem
President Buhari has demanded an investigation into the approval of a visa for Al Assir. Intelligence agencies around the world have an active communications system for keeping an eye on potential threats to their countries. A watch list for intelligence agencies like the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and State Security Service (SSS) are supposed to contain identities of various people who could cause harm. It is the job of these agents to be on alert so, they can tackle any contingencies.
In the midst of Nigeria’s current battle against Boko Haram activities, anyone whose actions are consistent with terrorism should raise a red flag for our intelligence agencies.
Many countries including Gambia, have adopted the use of biometric technology in visa processing. Nigeria currently makes use of biometric technology in the banking sector and national identification system. On the grounds of security challenges in the country, why is same not applied to the visa process?
Some policies need to be put in place for embassies in Nigeria to adopt a biometric process for verification as opposed to stop lists. Should we count it as luck that Lebanese authorities captured Al Assir before he had a chance to arrive Nigeria? In any case, intelligence agencies need to rise up to the challenge of neutralizing potential threats before they occur.
