Following the growing worldwide cases of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones catching fire and sometimes exploding, Al Shabaab and Boko Haram terror groups have ordered everyone living in areas they control not to return the smartphones as the Korean electronics manufacturer has advised.
The terrorist groups say they have realised exploding smartphones are better than grenades or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for their work.
Intelligence received also say the terrorist groups are considering approaching Samsung with the intention of purchasing already-returned defective.
A source also revealed that the terrorists consider it cheaper to issue exploding smartphones to their suicide bombers rather than making the explosive devices themselves.
“The cost of training a bomb maker is quite high... and because of the poor quality of our education system in Africa where they recruit sometimes, they just don’t have enough well-trained people.
In fact, if the government of Kenya, where terrorist now recruit, doesn’t do something about the education system, especially the teaching of maths and sciences, they won’t have bomb makers to speak of in some years to come...” said the source.
Besides, the source added, smartphones were much easier and less riskier as gadgets of terror.
But to get over the hurdle of some airlines having banned the use or presence of the particular device on their aircrafts, the terrorist organisations have urged their suicide bombers to just sandpaper off the device’s name and come up with a knockoff name like the Chinese do.
TERROR GROUP
“Just scratch out the name Samsung and change it to Samson, Samsong, Simsung or samthing... I mean something... That way you won’t be stopped from flying,” is what the source revealed the terror groups are advising their members to do.
But as much as the terror organisations are happy they are ‘outsourcing’ the making of explosives, there are fears that it will lead to laying off of staff in their bomb making departments.
Already a message meant only for the top brass in the terror group has been leaked, suggesting job losses ahead.
“This is the closest we can come to legal bombs... and this presents a unique opportunity for us to become leaner organisations by letting go of expensive bomb makers... this way we can better further our mission and agenda...!” read the leaked message.
The source says that fear has gripped the suicide bombers. Some are so worried because they see no future ahead that they are considering ingesting poison!
But it is not only terrorists who are refusing to return the exploding smartphones. Locally, even some ordinary guys in the streets with no links to terror whatsoever are holding onto their devices on the basis that they have found alternative uses for them.
Some argue that the particular phone has features no other phone has such as lighting fires and cigarettes.
“With this gadget being susceptible to catching fire, I can use it as a cigarette lighter; this is so cool, no other mobile phone can do that!” said one millennial who as a fireworks enthusiast is also considering using the device to stage firework displays. For others the phone has also found use as a heater.
“One of the problems with the smartphone is that it is overheating... so I will buy one for the cold season in July... it might burn a hole in my pocket literally, but I will never have to feel cold again... and it’s cheaper than a girlfriend... all I have to do whenever it gets cold is place the overheating smartphone next to my body...” said another millennial with a wry grin.
