Former acting chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said on Monday that terrorism in Nigeria was no longer a local matter, but one that had assumed an international scale.

Baraje, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin, Kwara State said  the sophistication of Boko Haram had gone beyond  the local level.

According to him, there are  records showing links between the sect and the international terrorist group, Al Qaeda.

He said, "The activities and sophistication of  Boko Haram have gone beyond Boko Haram.  There are serious records to show links between the  people that cause Boko Haram and Al Qaeda.

"It is international  terrorism that is in Nigeria.  It is not a local matter."

The ex-PDP boss said there was the need for stakeholders to hold a brainstorm on the insecurity in the country, even as he posited that corruption was a major cause of the problem.

Also  fuelling  violence and insecurity  in the country, according to Baraje, is the high rate of unemployment among the youth.

The former PDP boss therefore suggested that government should reform the educational sector to place great emphasis on skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development to  make the youth self-reliant.

He said, "Corruption has been with us even long before insecurity. I think, corruption is the major cause of some of our insecurity.  Armed robbery has been there before Boko Haram."

He suggested that religious leaders should be co-opted to pray for a solution to the menace and also to teach their followers the sanctity of human lives and the punishment for terminating lives.

Baraje said, "Insecurity in the country calls for concern.  Not only for politicians or people in government but it is for everybody.  I think it has gotten to a point where we have to organise ourselves in groups and associations, and even within the family to educate ourselves about how to be extra vigilant and security conscious.

"Quran forbids the taking of lives, not even that of a fellow human being,  but it says 'do not take life!' It did not say do not take human life, because you cannot create it. Life is so sacred."

Baraje stated that the debate on whether  President Goodluck Jonathan should contest in 2015 or not was premature, adding that it was capable of distracting government from service delivery, which he said was paramount for now.

He said, "Debate on 2015 now is very distractive.  Unfortunately with the incidents going on, is this when we should begin to think of 2015? I think we should leave the decision with the political party to begin to do their own work secretly and not make an issue of it."