A wave of fear has been looming on social media this morning, and it has to do with the possible planned attack by the international terrorist groups, Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

The United States, in a media briefing, has revealed that the Al-Qaeda and ISIS are looking to launch a hostile attack into Southern Nigeria. It also said Al-Qaeda has started penetrating the north-western part of the country. Dagvin Anderson, Commander of the US special operations command, Africa, shared this information as he also said Al-Qaeda is also expanding to other parts of West Africa. The news is coming as a shock for Nigerians who are simply asking why this is happening?

Well, these terrorist groups have forever made their cause known, and while no one knows for sure what may have encouraged their interest in Nigeria, the horrors of September 11, 2001, is still very fresh in the minds of many.

The claim by the U.S. that Al Qaeda & ISIS are planning to infiltrate the south is alarming. If true, the south will soon experience the barbarity & savagery that the north has been subjected to by these two terrorist organisations over the years. We must UNITE to save Nigeria.

— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) August 6, 2020

However, in the media briefing by Anderson, he stipulated that for international efforts to yield expected results in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria, the government must take the lead.

Nigeria, however, has been battling with terrorism for as long as they have been battling against bad governance and while Anderson is simply saying to the Nigerian government: ‘We want to fight with you, but you have to take the lead’, President Buhari and the Army are still silent following the report of the news.

Buhari’s silence on the matter, however, is not surprising (and this is not a hate speech), as seen in the index case of the COVID-19 in Nigeria, where the president spent a one month before addressing the nation.

Al-Qaeda and ISIS infiltration plans on Southern Nigeria may be unclear for Nigerians, but some Nigerians debate that it may be politically driven. Only recently, the Nigerian government rehabilitated repentant Boko Haram members and integrated them back to society, an action that the Buhari administration has received backlash for. Nigerians on social media share that, perhaps the International terrorist group is reacting to these recent events.

We're still battling with Boko Haram. ISIS & Al-Qaeda are also coming. I think they have heard the way President Buhari is treating Boko Haram well than the citizens of this country

The same US warning us kept silent about how Buhari is giving Boko Haram special treatments

— IFA FUNSHO (@funshographix) August 5, 2020

While the Al-Qaeda hysteria continues to build, it would be interesting to note that if the plan to attack Southern Nigeria (which widely includes everything below the north) pulls through, Nigerians in that region will get a feel of the level of the terror and fear that has become synonymous to living in Northern Nigeria.

Whenever the government choose to join the fight against these international terrorist groups, it could affect the budget for fighting against local insurgencies in Nigeria. The government, albeit silent now on this update, are being reminded that the lives of Nigerians in every region are important, and the need for them to rise to the occasion.