BY BEN AGANDE
ABUJA—The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, Amb Khaled Abdrabuh, Wednesday said his government was willing to assist Nigeria fight terrorism if there was an official request to that effect from the Nigerian government.

This came on the heels of indications that rehabilitation of the bombed office of the United Nations in Abuja may have commenced as construction giant, Julius Berger Nig Plc’s equipment and men were seen at the sprawling complex Tuesday when Vanguard visited the office.

In an exclusive interview with Vanguard, Amb Abdrabuh also denied allegations that Boko Haram was being sponsored by the Saudi government, saying he was ‘surprised’ by the allegation.

It would be recalled that an unknown militant group, the Akhwat Akwop, had accused some countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, of being behind the Boko Haram sect, saying citizens of these countries in Nigeria would be targeted by itsa members.

But the Saudi Arabian ambassador  said: “I am very surprised when I read in the papers that the government of Saudi Arabia is in communication with Boko Haram.  As the Saudi ambassador, I want to say that I am 100 per cent sure that there is no communication between Saudi government and Boko Haram, either directly with the Saudi government or through the Saudi Embassy in Nigeria. I am surprised when I read the news.

“Terrorists have also bombed Saudi Arabia. What the Saudi government did was to engage in communication with those arrested because most of these people are young men in the age bracket of 17 to 20 years.

“You will agree with me that at this age, it is very easy to infuse certain things into their minds. When Saudi Arabia arrested these people, they brought some Ullamah to talk to them about the right meaning of some verses of the Quran and Hadith because they were fed with the wrong meaning.

“After talking with them, many of them left the terrorist ideology and came back to the right path.”

Asked whether the Saudi government would cooperate with its Nigerian counterpart to fight terrorism in the country, the ambassador said “if there is a request from the Nigerian government to the Saudi government, of course, the government will consider it because Nigeria and  Saudi Arabia have good relations spanning a long period of time. I do not think that there should be any problem.”

Meanwhile, rehabilitation of the bombed office of the United Nations in Abuja may have commenced as construction giant, Julius Berger Nig Plc’s equipment and men were seen at the sprawling complex Tuesday when Vanguard visited the office.

Though no official of the construction company or the United Nations was willing to speak with Vanguard, a staff of Julius Berger told Vanguard that mobilization to site commenced last week.

It would be recalled that following the August 26 bomb blast at the United Nations office in Abuja, where more than 20 people were killed, there were fears whether the building could still be safe for habitation.