FG Reviews Counter-terrorism Strategy

The federal government is rethinking its approach in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.

President Muhammadu Buhari revealed this atthe launch of the revised counter-terrorism strategy in Abuja, yesterday.

Represented by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the president pointed out that a robust and dynamic counter-terrorism strategyis crucial in the fight against terrorism and reminded Nigerians that the fight against insurgents is an unconventional one.

The president lamented that in spite of the successes of the military against the insurgent group, Boko Haram, the threat of the group lingers.

He blamed corrupt security and government officials for the prolonged insurgency, saying their acts of corruption, greed and wickedness extended the reign of terror.

“The sheer recklessness of the killings, the shocking barbarity of the executions was meant to terrorise and produce maximum fear.To further establish their reign of terror, they took territory and hoisted their tattered flags in almost 27 local governments in the North East.

“Sadly, because of the disgraceful greed and wickedness of some in government and some in high office in the armed forces at the time, funds meant to equip soldiers to contain the terrorists were embezzled. Their incredible selfishness cost the nation thousands of lives, extended the reign of terror and strengthened the enemy,” he said.

Buhari said since May 29, 2015, the government had remained  committed to the absolute defeat of the terrorists and to re-equipping and rebuilding the morale of the country’s armed forces.

“The gallant men and women of our armed forces have, in a few months, freed many from Boko Haram-held territories and fatally degraded their fighting capacity. Our neighbours in the Lake Chad Basin area have also been tremendous allies in the various military engagements.

“But like all evil, the vestiges of their activities and warped ideology still linger. Through the social media and even personal contacts, capture and intimidation, men women and even children are induced, persuaded or forcedto engage in acts of terrorism.

“This is why a robust and dynamic counter-terrorism strategy is crucial in the fight againstterrorism, and must be constantly reviewed for relevance to contemporary challenges,” he said.

President Buhari further stated that the launch of the revised counter-terrorism strategy underscores the fact that government recognises that terrorism has numerous iterations; is not static, and thus, its response must be dynamic and versatile.

His words: “There must be an understanding that the war against terrorism is a most unconventional one.

The enemy is essentially an insane nuisance because he revels in un-cowardly attacks. He does not obey the rules of warfare, kills the defenceless, includingprisoners, uses children as human guns and considers the killing of anyone at all as a victory.

“As we think through our strategy, we must remember that to permanently win the physicalbattle, we must win the battle of the minds of the often impressionable young men who sign up to join Boko Haram. We must also educate the millions of other young men through the leadership of our faiths.

“We must work hard to provide opportunities for these young men and women who for yearshave lacked education and a real chance of doing well.

”He further stated that many of his colleagues and friends gave their lives defending the nation and its great people and that they came from every nook and cranny of Nigeria, from the South-South, South-East, South-West, North-East, North-West and North-Central.

Buhari noted that his administration’s social investment programmes and home-grown school feeding programme, vocational and technical training for graduates and non-graduates and Teacher Corps programmewere all designed to create real opportunities for young people.

He, however, lamented that thousands of Nigerian children and adults now face malnutrition after their release from Boko Haram captivity, but said he had done something in that regard.

“I have asked the vice president to chair an inter-ministerial team to quickly review the situation and work with our development partners and other CSOs to handle this particular problem,” the president stated, and assured that his administration was determined to prioritise the safety and security of every Nigerian.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has said Nigeria and the rest of the world cannot be prisoners to the Boko Haram terrorists or those who have been brain washed by the extremist mentality of haunting humans rather than setting development goals.

Speaking when he arrived at the palace of the Sultan of Sokoto yesterday, Kerry said, “Now it is not goals to be pursued but looking for perceived enemies to be killed.

Almost seven million Nigerians are now experiencing hunger because of Boko Haram.

“Boko Haram knows no religion other than to kill and slaughter innocent people. They have complete and total neglect for human lives. Boko Haram is not the only terrorist group confronting the world today. However, we do not have to be prisoners of these militant evil groups.

”Kerry gave the assurance that the US will assist her partners, including Nigeria, to build up their counter-terrorism capacities, in his country’s continued effort towards ensuring and sustaining global peace.

“Defeating Boko Haram is just the beginning ofwhat we want to do. We have to also stick into the root of the problem. And also remember that integrity, good governance, education, security as well as respect for human right are some of the values that can put away extremism,” he added.

The US top envoy also noted that building a modern economy requires investment in the people.

In his speech, the Sultan of Sokoto and president-general, Nigeria Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), admitted that the US plays a vital role in ensuring global peace.

According to the Sultan, “US is the world’s police and staying all the time to listen to the US Secretary of State is worth it.

”For his part, Governor Aminu Tambuwal expressed delight at Kerry’s decision to visit the Seat of the Caliphate.

He assured that the state and its people will continue to maintain the cherished virtues of peaceful coexistence, mutual love and respect as well as unity of purpose for which the state was known for globally.

Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari; APC North-West zonal chairman, Inuwa Abdulkadir; vice chancellors of Usman Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Prof Abdullahi Zuru and that of Sokoto State University, Prof Nuhu Yaqub among others, were on hand to receive the US envoy.

Reps say only negotiations will end Boko Haram

The House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) yesterday suggested that government should negotiate with Boko Haram as a final solution to terror attacks in the North East.

The committee also urged government to curtail the influx of foreign herdsmen into Nigeria so as to forestall the incessant attacks on villages, especially in the northern part of the country.

Members of the committee, while receiving a United Nation’s special delegation on Internally Displaced Persons, led by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Internally Displaced Persons, Prof Chaloka Beyani, explained that governments and humanitarian agencies should identify and render support for this category of IDPs.

‎”Herdsmen have graduated to be more dangerous than Boko Haram. If these herdsmen are not Nigerians, where are they migrating from and where are they going? If they are not curtailed, they will destroy Nigeria in the next few years,” Chairman of the committee, Hon. Sani Zoro stated.

He emphasised that government must negotiate with the Boko Haram insurgents, noting that guerrilla attacks could continue even after successful military operations against the terrorists.

Zoro who acknowledged that the Nigerian Armed Forces had degraded the capacity of the insurgents, however pointed out a durable solution may not be achieved without negotiation.

“When we talk about durable solution, the issue politicians have been shying away from must be part of our recommendation, that is negotiation. All wars and all conflicts always end with negotiation. In Nigeria, there is no doubt about the fact that our military has degraded the capabilities of Boko Haram. It is also true that crushing the insurgents finally may be in a matter of months. But Nigeria mayalso have to contend with guerrilla attacks andother ancillary attacks,” he said.

Zoro added that government must engage the insurgents until they surrender to peace.

“I want to stress, very specially, that Nigerian authorities, at some point in time, especially with the military defeat, must engage Boko Haram until they surrender.

Probably, we wouldn’t need to deploy more resources in terms of money and men to patrol that territory,” he stated.

Zoro also observed that there was no contingent plan for welcoming displaced persons from newly liberated areas, and calledon government to offer immediate protection assistance to IDPs.

He also identified the lack of a specific policy for the IDPs and inadequate budgetary allocation as major problems militating against welfare for the displaced persons.

“There is also the problem of inadequate appropriation for the IDPs. In the 2016 budget, all the government agencies and departments concerned with the IDPs got allocation of about N3 billion. This amount, in my own estimation, is only sufficient to cater for the IDPs in a week,” he said.

Meanwhile, the member representing Danboa/Chibok/Gwoza federal constituency inBorno State, Hon. Asabe Vilita Bashir, expressed displeasure at government’s decision to repatriate IDPs from the state who are in Maiduguri to local government camps.

Bashir, whose entire constituency is currently displaced, said the areas were not safe yet for inhabitants to return.

“I am not encouraged that the IDPs should return to the local governments; the places are still not safe. The government always wants usto agree with them, but the truth is the areas are still not safe,” she said.

Another member representing Fika/Fune federal constituency in Yobe State, Hon. Ismaila Gadaka, disclosed that there were overfive million unidentified IDPs who were mixed up with different host communities.

Gadaka said over one million out of this number could be traced to Yobe State alone.He, however, noted that the care of IDPs was, over the years, left in the capacity of the federaland state governments.

According to Gadaka, efforts by the United Nations and other humanitarian groups contributed little or nothing to the care of IDPs.

“There are over five million IDPs unaccounted for within the host communities. These persons should also be identified and supported.

The sufferings of IDPs have only been left in the hands of the federal and state governments; the UN has done little or nothing and the role of NGOs also did not do much to reduce the suffering of the IDPs,” he said.