Raja made the remarks in an interview on Arise Television, responding to accusations by Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, who claimed that Iran sponsors Islamic movements in Nigeria and West Africa to spread terror globally
Iran’s ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja, has offered Tehran’s support in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, stressing that Islamic groups in the country maintain only spiritual and cultural links with Iran, not political ones.
Raja made the remarks in an interview on Arise Television, responding to accusations by Israel’s ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, who claimed that Iran sponsors Islamic movements in Nigeria and West Africa to spread terror globally.
Freeman’s statement followed protests by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, in several states over the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, during recent US-Israeli strikes on Tehran.
“We’ve seen Iran spreading terror. We’ve seen them developing a ballistic missile programme and a nuclear programme. Nigeria has been on the receiving end of terrorism from Iran,” Freeman said.
The IMN Media Forum quickly dismissed Freeman’s allegations, describing them as “possible false-flag terrorism by the Israelis.” Ammar Rajab, the forum’s chairman, said, “It is both inappropriate and unacceptable for the representative of a state widely found guilty of committing genocide and grave violations of international laws to lecture others about terrorism or security.”
Addressing the issue, Raja said the rallies and mourning events in Nigeria reflected a moral and spiritual connection between Muslims, not political backing from Iran.
“After the assassination of our supreme leader, there have been peaceful rallies, funerals, and mourning occasions,” he said. “This does not mean that Iran is defending those groups. It is a moral and spiritual connection because they are Muslims, and we are Muslims.”
Raja added that Iran has always condemned terrorism and is ready to cooperate with countries facing insurgency, including Nigeria.
“We are ready to lend a helping hand. As an ambassador here, I tell Nigerian officials that we are ready to assist in combating terrorism,” he said. “We know that Nigeria faces threats from Boko Haram, ISWAP, and others. We are ready to share our experience in counterterrorism, as we have extensive experience in the region.”
The envoy also emphasised that Iran is itself a victim of terrorism and has consistently condemned attacks not only in Nigeria but across Africa and other continents.
“We are victims, and we are ready to cooperate with African countries to combat terrorism, drawing from our experience,” Raja said. “We condemn terrorist attacks and the crimes they have committed in Nigeria and across Africa multiple times.”
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