ATTARI: Ten days after the Gurdaspur terror attack, two Nigerian Muslim youths, in their early 20s, were held by the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on Friday when they tried to sneak into Pakistan from the international border in Punjab.

Though security forces have not found any objectionable material on them, the manner in which they were trying to cross the border raised suspicion. A map, which showed Iraq as the duo's destination, was also seized from them. BSF deputy inspector general, Amritsar sector, M F Farooqui said on Friday that they had apprehended Sani Jamiliu, pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Karnataka State Open University, New Delhi, and Imran Kabeer, a BSc (3rd semester) student of Mahatama Gandhi University, Delhi. Both, residents of Kanu in Nigeria, were found roaming near the border in suspicious circumstances.

"Our troops spotted them while they were driving a taxi. When our personnel stopped them close to the integrated check post (ICP) and asked about their antecedents both fled the spot leaving behind the taxi which they had stolen from Amritsar," said Farooqui, adding that the BSF personnel chased and caught them.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that they were keen to visit Islamic countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq for Islamic and Arabic studies. They also had Quran with them. The DIG said they found Iraq as a destination on a map in their possession.

The duo had arrived in India on a valid visa and were aware of the process to travel to Pakistan and other countries. "It's too early to say whether they had any inclination towards 'jihadi' elements, but they didn't give any satisfactory reply about their attempt to cross over to Pakistan without travel documents," said sources. Farooqui said both the Nigerians wanted to go to Islamabad.

Three terrorists had stormed a police station at Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district on July 27, killing 7 people following which security was beefed up across Punjab and in border areas.

