NIGERIA: Isa Pantami has never been on any US watchlist, Says Bashir Ahmad

The Personal Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, has dismissed reports that the United States government and the FBI has placed Nigeria’s Minister of Com­munications, Isa Pantami, on its terror watch-list.<br /><br /><br />The news on social media was circulated on Sunday that Pantami had been placed on the list over presumed connection with a former Boko Haram Leader.<br /><br />The report claimed that the minister was said to be a close confidant of the late Mohammed Yusuf, the late leader of Boko Haram.<br /><br />It also claimed that Pantami had ties with Abu Quata­da al Falasimi and other Al-Qaeda leaders whom he revered and spoke highly of.<br /><br />Meanwhile, in a tweet on Monday, Bashir described the report as ‘fake news.’<br /><br />He stated that the Minister has never been on any US watchlist.<br /><br />He wrote, ”You have just endorsed a fake report without verifying. For your information @DrIsaPantamihas never been on any US watchlist.”