Insurgency: Nigeria, Niger hold bilateral meeting in Mauduguri to promote, mutual understanding

AHMED MARI, Maiduguri

To effectively tackle insecurity and other border challenges, the Nigeria/ Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation has organised three days meeting of the  Local Bilateral Committee  (LBC) for Borno and Yobe states and Diffa region of Niger Republic to promote security, agriculture, trade  and border communities’ mutual understanding.

Speaking at the opening the LBC meeting at the Government House, Maiduguri,, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said that the Nigeria/Niger Joint Commission for Cooperation (NNJCC) is to promote border communities’ mutual understanding and peace.

The SGF, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary (Political), Andrew Adejo, said:  “As you’ are all aware; LBC was created in July, 1990 in Maiduguri between Nigeria and Niger by signing an agreement for a joint commission for cooperation”.

He said the objective of cooperation was to promote mutual understating, peace and well-being of people in the communities, adding that the resolution of the committee was ratified by the Council of Ministers at its 40th session on December 15, 2020 in Abuja

“This is Federal Government’s efforts to maintain friendly relationship with international communities”, he said.

While lamenting insecurity in the border areas, the SGF said that inactivity of LBC has contributed to the increasing rates of terrorism in the frontline states of two member-countries.

“It has resulted into the infiltration of small arms and light weapons into Niger and Nigeria, due to porous border communities, stretching over 1,500 kilometres in Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe and Zamfara states, adding that  the  Diffa province in Niger poses a serious security threats to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, illicit trade and robbery,” he further explained.

Declaring open the LBC meeting, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State said the Commission would address border communities’ infrastructure deficits and enhance livelihoods of people.

Represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Umar Kadafur, the Governor said: “This meeting is to  foster unity and mutual  understanding between the border communities and also assesses the infrastructural need of the border communities”.

He said the out come of the meeting would be tabled to the Nigeria Niger Joint Commission and urged the participant to contribute meaningfully to the meeting for the betterment of the border communities.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Secretary-General of NNJCV, Ambassador. Rabiu Akawu, said: “today’s meeting is very important because of the 12-year security challenges being faced by the people,”.

He called for bottom-top approach in arriving at the needs of the border communities for effective development and trans-boundary synergy and solutions.

He called on participants to examine the security issue and come up with practical recommendations to the Commission and profer remote and immediate causes; as well as resolve the problem in the border communities.

In his goodwill message, the Deputy Governor of Niger, Yahaya Godi,assured that the Nigerien government would continue to protect and provide shelter for displaced persons from border communities of Nigeria.

However, an Air Force operative has been arrested in connection with the attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna State.

Bandits had in the early hours of August 24, attacked the NDA’s permanent site, killing two officers and abducting another.

The bandits, who came in a vehicle, were said to have passed through the security gate into the academy, disguised in military uniforms, after which they proceeded to the officers’ quarters.

Three months after the incident, authorities of the Nigerian Air Force have now linked one of its officers with the incident.

A source confirmed the arrest of the suspect to Channels Television on Monday.

The suspect – Sergeant Torsabo Solomon – was reportedly arrested on the order of the Base Commander as requested by the NDA Commander.

Channels Television gathered that the suspect has been moved to Kaduna for further interrogation.

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