FG committing more resources in fight against terrorism, banditry – Information Minister

CHIDIMMA UCHEGBU, Abuja

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to tackling insecurity in the country through improved investment in equipment, manpower, and intelligence gathering.

Idris stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the first international conference organized by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) themed “Interrogating the Root Cause of Violence in the Sahel and Its Impact on Nigeria’s Territorial Integrity,” which brought together experts, policymakers, and stakeholders to assess and propose solutions to the challenges posed by violence in the Sahel region.

He acknowledged that the Sahel region has become a vortex of instability, violence, terrorism,  organized crime, drug trafficking, smuggling of weapons and violent extremism with a spillover effect on Nigeria due to the country’s porous borders with the region.

“Nigeria shares a long and porous border with several Sahelian countries caught up in conflict, making us vulnerable to the spillover effects of the conflict. This not only threatens our security but also challenges our capacity to maintain effective control over our borders.

“Several scholars and experts had earlier attributed these challenges to socio-economic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental degradation and climate change, transnational organized crime, and illegal trafficking in arms among others but the spillover effect of these conflicts is taking its toll on our economy, internal security and the socio-economic well-being of our people,” he said.

The Minister opined that the root causes of violence in the Sahel, include socio-economic marginalization, weak governance structures, environmental challenges, and organized crime.

He said, nevertheless, that the Federal Government is committed to addressing these underlying issues both domestically and in collaboration with international partners.

“The violence in the Sahel is not an isolated issue, and no single country can tackle it alone. Therefore, Nigeria has stepped up its engagement with its neighbours and other regional and international partners, it’s strengthening joint military operations such as the Multinational Joint Task Force, and also supporting initiatives that aim to stabilize the Sahel region.

“On the home front, security has remained a top priority in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and through investment in equipment, manpower, acquisition of more fighting platforms, and intelligence gathering, we are winning the war against insecurity.

Tackling these challenges would require collaboration between government agencies, international partners, and security experts in order to safeguard Nigeria’s territorial integrity and contribute to lasting peace and stability in the Sahel region, said Idris.

He equally urged the experts convened at the conference, to dissect the root causes of the armed conflicts in the Sahel with a view to developing innovative solutions to tackle the challenges.

The First Annual NAN Lecture was attended by the former head of state, General Abdulsalam Abubakar as chairman of the occasion, who  in his speech said no less heartwarming is the choice of the topic, ” Insecurity in the Sahel 2008-2024, in bracket, dissecting Nigeria’s challenges, genesis, impulse, and options”.

He said at such a trying time in our national life, this effort to enliven public discourse on the debilitating challenges of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, for ransom, malignancy, and violent violence, among others, will go a long way in providing solutions aimed at boosting our security architecture.

“I therefore wish to congratulate the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, for organizing this lecture. Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be divorced from the regional heritage in the Sahel, a vast landmass that encompasses the troubled countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Cameroon.

“In the year 2020, a whopping 4,660 people were killed in this region, while another 2,600 civilians lost their lives in banditry attacks in 2021. Today, Your Excellencies, this region is still one huge killing field, in spite of the best efforts of successive governments there. But who are the non-state actors at the heart of this ring of violence? How is it impacting on Nigeria? How do we as a nation contend with this presence and clear danger? What prognosis can we make going forward? Your Excellencies, given the caliber of the guest speaker, who is a diplomat of note and African Union mediator in Sudan, as well as the staff of the panel of analysts, I have no doubt that this lecture will elicit a productive and thought-provoking response to these poses.

“However, at the heart of the insecurity in this region, among other factors, are the undercurrents of poverty and unemployment, the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, weak governance, and institutional failures, as well as climate change and environmental degradation. These factors have certainly created a fertile ground for insecurity to thrive, with devastating impacts on our dear nation. We must not, however, lose faith in our capacity to ride above the storms of insecurity, since this challenge is business of each and every Nigerian, and indeed, all Africans.

“Not only must we work together to find solutions to our country’s security challenges, but we indeed owe ourselves, our children, and the future generations the duty to create a safer and more prosperous nation. May peace reign in our region and the world at large. I thank you for your kind attention”, he added.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Guest of Honour at the event, was represented by the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

Other dignitaries present were the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Umar Dikko Radda; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, and the Minister of Steel Development, Alhaji Shuaibu Abubakar.

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