Nigerians said on Wednesday that there were no al-Qaeda hideouts in the country and argued that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab could have been a citizen of any other country in the world.
[Charles Idemudia, Engineer, Lagos]:
"Abdulmutallab could have been from any country, Western world, wherever, that has the same belief that the al Qaeda group represents, and is a citizen from whatever country it could be, and they found him vulnerable to their tendencies and decided to utilize him to their own gain."
Nigeria became a focus because Umar Farouk Adbulmutallab, whom the U.S. believed was trained by an al Qaeda group in Yemen, began his journey at the Lagos International Airport on December 24.
A Muslim cleric at Lagos's central mosque said the group did not exist in the country, adding that the true meaning of the Arabic words “al Qaeda” had fallen into wrong hands.
[Abdulkadir Moyosore, Muslim Cleric]:
"Talking about al Qaeda, I don't know anything about them, I don't practice it. I think what al Qaeda means is what someone is purposed to do, an 'intentional deed,' some use it to do good while others use it for evil."
Another Muslim cleric said al Qaeda was now more associated with attacks than good deeds.
[Ibrahim Afeez, Muslim Cleric]:
"Al Qaeda in our own Islamic way simply means 'intentional deeds', and intentional deeds in Islam has to be in the right parts not to be in the wrong path."
Some Nigerians believe that al Qaeda cells may exist elsewhere in the world but not in their own country.
[Salako Opeolu, Resident]:
"There's nothing like al Qaeda here in Nigeria, because every good Nigerian, what they want is just how to make little ends meet."
Adbulmutallab is due to appear in a U.S court on Friday.
