By Peter Omopo
Abuja | July 17, 2025
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has firmly responded to recent comments by the Turkish government alleging that members of the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) are operating in Nigeria under the cover of educational and healthcare institutions.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, emphasized that Nigeria is a sovereign nation capable of making independent decisions, especially on matters of national security and counterterrorism.
“Nigeria is an independent, sovereign nation that can think and act for itself,” Kangye said. “We cannot take what other people are saying about Nigeria and accept it without our own independent assessment.”
Turkish Envoy Raises Alarm
The controversy began on Tuesday when Mehmet Poroy, Turkey’s ambassador-designate to Nigeria, alleged during a dinner event marking Turkey’s Democracy and National Unity Day that FETO had an ongoing presence in Nigeria.
“The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates… particularly in the fields of education and healthcare,” Poroy stated, adding that Turkey continues to brief Nigerian authorities about what it considers FETO’s subversive activities.
He called on Nigerian authorities to remain “vigilant and cautious.”
Nigeria: We Rely on Our Own Intelligence
In a pointed rebuttal, Maj. Gen. Kangye described Poroy’s comments as “unofficial” and stressed that the Defence Headquarters does not consider them as verified intelligence.
“Information from the person you are talking about, as far as Defence Headquarters is concerned, is an unofficial announcement. Everybody is free to say whatever they want. There is freedom of information,” Kangye said.
He added that Nigeria’s military assessments and operations are guided strictly by internal intelligence and national interests, not foreign advisories or assumptions.
“The Nigerian military has its own code of conduct and operational guidelines,” he said.
Warning Against Propaganda and External Pressure
Kangye further cautioned that foreign narratives, especially unverified ones, could be part of global psychological operations and propaganda aimed at influencing sovereign decision-making.
“There are propagandists all over the world. Psychological operations go on everywhere. That’s why we must be vigilant,” he warned.
While reaffirming Nigeria’s diplomatic and military ties with other nations, Kangye stressed that security decisions will always be based on Nigeria’s own strategic priorities.
“We value our international allies, but our actions are guided by what best serves Nigeria’s national interest.”
The DHQ’s position reflects a growing insistence by Nigerian authorities to maintain strategic autonomy amid rising global tensions and competing foreign agendas.
