LAGOS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Nigeria Police Force has said they are probing a report credited to an al-Qaeda group in north Africa to train and arm Nigerian Muslim groups to fight perceived enemies in the country.

The al-Qaeda group in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) said in a statement on Monday that it was ready to defend "our people in Nigeria."

Reacting to this, the police said its men were ready to counter any form of terror in the country.

Yemi Ajayi, assistant police spokesman, told Xinhua on phone from Abuja that the police would look into any news or information that has any security implications with all seriousness.

He said the police would not treat such information with levity, as their men were on standby on a daily basis to counter any crisis in any part of the country.

"We are not resting on our oars concerning any report, be it mischief or not, we are fully prepared to tackle any unrest in any part of the country," Ajayi told Xinhua.

"And do not forget that our work now is intelligence based and we want to say that Nigerians should not talk more on rumor," he added.

The al-Qaeda group, did not state the reason for the offer.

"We are ready to train your people in weapons, and give you whatever support we can in men, arms and munitions to enable you to defend our people in Nigeria," the group said in a statement.

"You are not alone in this test. The hearts of Mujahideen are in pain over your troubles and desire to help you as much as possible," the AQIM added, noting that it had done so in Somalia, Iraq,Afghanistan, Palestine, and Chechnya.

Analysts told Xinhua that the group's offer might not be unconnected with the recent sectarian crisis in northern city of Jos.

More than 300 people died in the Jos riots that erupted on Jan. 17, when some youths attacked worshippers at St. Michael's Anglican Church in Nasawara Gwom of Jos.

The fighting ultimately turned into a fight between Muslim and Christian gangs.

The recent clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs have claimed more than 100 lives in the central city which experienced the same riots in November 2008.

The riots in 2008 killed hundreds of residents in the city.