The Chief Imam of Lagos State University (LASU), Prof. Amidu Sanni, says Fethullah, a Turkey-based organisation, is not involved in terrorist activities in Nigeria but only focuses on humanitarian work.
Sanni, who made the clarification in an interview with NAN on Thursday in Lagos, spoke against the backdrop of recent comments by the Turkish government urging Nigeria to be cautious of the group’s activities.
The Turkish Ambassador-designate to Nigeria, Mr Mehmet Poroy, had on Tuesday allegedly described Fethullah as a proscribed terrorist organisation in Turkey.
Poroy alleged that the organisation was using schools and health services as a front to expand its operations in Nigeria.
Poroy spoke at a dinner organised by the Turkish Embassy in Abuja to commemorate Turkish Democracy and National Unity Day.
Unity day is observed annually to mark the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, allegedly orchestrated by the so-called FETO network.
But Sanni dismissed the Turkish government’s claims, describing them as unfounded and intended to discredit the organisation due to political disagreements.
He said, “This propaganda is the handiwork of agents of corruption and tyranny seeking to silence dissent and discredit the humanitarian work of the organisation, which is dedicated to supporting the vulnerable in Nigeria.
“FETO has demonstrated an enviable commitment to a global initiative of eradicating ignorance, disease, inter-religious disharmony.
“And to the provision of a sustainable individual and community empowerment all over the world regardless of political, ethnic, and religious affiliations.
“The activities of the organisation are open, verifiable, and impactful. The Turkish government is hereby advised to stop this campaign of falsehood and state-sponsored propaganda of calumny,” he said.
Meanwhile, Poroy stated that members of the Gülen movement—accused of sponsoring the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey—were still being apprehended globally, which, he said, “makes their presence in any country a potential national security threat.
“They are still being captured and arrested today. The presence of such an organisation poses a threat to every country in which it operates.
“Unfortunately, the FETO terrorist organisation continues its activities in Nigeria, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
“We consistently inform our Nigerian counterparts about the nature and dangers of this organisation and urge them to remain vigilant and cautious,” Poroy said.
The Turkish envoy added that, through international cooperation, Turkey has successfully dismantled several FETO cells and networks operating in allied countries around the world.
According to him, many institutions—especially schools that are part of FETO’s international network—have been taken over by Turkish authorities.
However, he acknowledged that the group’s global structures had not yet been fully dismantled.
“The fact that new investigations and arrests into the organisation continue to be launched demonstrates the need for this struggle to be pursued with unwavering determination.
“You must not forget that behind this humanitarian appearance lies an organisation that seeks to infiltrate the political and bureaucratic institutions of host countries,” Poroy warned.
The Gülen movement, (known as Hizmet or Service in Turk language), is purportedly a transnational, religious, educational, and social organisation, founded in late 1950.
Its founder, Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish Islamic scholar, died as a Turkish fugitive in October 2024 at the age of 83, in Pennsylvania, United States.
The Turkish government accuses Gülen of masterminding the 2016 bloody coup, which claimed at least 251 lives, and had officially designated the group as a global terrorist organisation.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as countries such as Pakistan and Northern Cyprus, have designated FETO as a terrorist organisation.
It further reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria, on Wednesday, stated that the FETO group was not involved in any terrorist activities within the country.
