Kaduna abduction: Reps urge security agencies to track terrorism funding

JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the security agencies including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, Civil Defense, Immigration, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, DIA, NIA, Military Intelligence and the Financial Intelligence Unit to track terrorism funding in the country to address the root cause of kidnapping, terrorism and other security threats facing the citizens.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Hon. Ahmed Munir a member of the All Progressives Congress APC representing Lere Federal Constituency of Kaduna State on the matter on the floor of the House.

Debating the motion, Munir noted that on March 7, 2024, gunmen stormed the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School and Government Secondary School in Kuriga Community where over 200 students and teachers were forcibly abducted and moved to the forest unchallenged.

He also noted that two months back, in the same community, a school principal, Mallam Abu Sufyan, was killed days after his wife and baby were abducted.

The late teacher’s wife and baby were later rescued in a successful joint security operation on 3rd February 2024.

He further said that he is aware that on Friday 8th March 2024, gunmen attacked worshippers in a mosque at Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and two persons were declared dead.

He said: “This worrisome trend of violence is seeping into other parts of the state affecting persons of all religious and ethnic backgrounds.

“Concerned that despite the N3.25 trillion allocated to the defense and security sector on drones and other military equipment that could have tracked, located and rescued victims representing 11.8 percent of the national budget in 2024, yet, there has been no respite as the bulk of the actions by security personnel are reactionary rather than proactive.

“Also of concern is the negative effect of the restrictive envelope system, which does not prioritize the actual needs assessment of the security sector when it comes to procurement, planning and recruitment of personnel”.

According to him, in May 2014, the Nigerian Government with an initial 10 million dollars, with another additional pledge of 10 million dollars from a coalition of Nigerian business leaders along with the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education Gordon Brown launched the Safe Schools Initiative, whereby the fund is to be managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance, for protection of students and teachers in areas prone to security threats.

The “Safe School Initiative” according to him entails a combination of school-based interventions and community interventions to protect schools as well as special measures for at-risk populations.

He however regretted that a decade has gone by and yet the utilization and impact of this fund is at best questionable.

He said that the factors fueling insecurity ranging from illicit drug trade, human trafficking and proliferation of small arms pose serious threats to the development of Kaduna State and the nation and therefore a coordinated effort encompassing all security apparatus and relevant agencies that include and not limited to Army, Navy, Air force, Police, Civil Defense, Immigration, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, DIA, NIA, Military Intelligence, Financial Intelligence Unit is needed to track terrorism funding.

He further called on National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP and the Refugee Commission anchored by the Office of the National Security Adviser to start working in silos and draw up and execute a comprehensive plan to address issues of insecurity.

He said that a Marshall Plan on security with short, medium and long-term goals with specific timelines that hold security personnel  found incapable accountable and replaced with capable hands.

He explained to his colleagues that Kaduna State borders the North-Western states of Zamfara, Katsina and  Kano and also borders the North-Eastern State of Bauchi and the North Central States of Plateau, Nasarawa, Abuja and Niger and therefore an isolated plan for just Kaduna alone will be ineffective without taking cognizant of border communities and even neighboring countries of Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic and the wider Sahel.

Consequently, the House presided over by Speaker Hon. Tajudeen Abbas unanimously adopted the motion with a voice vote.

The House further mandated the Office of National Security Adviser ONSA to coordinate and galvanize all security and intelligence networks to develop and execute a proactive master plan to restore security with defined plans on coordinating with neighbouring countries and the plan must include boots on the ground land and aerial sweep of locations that include but not limited to Kuyambana forest in Zamfara, Kamuka forest in Kaduna, Falgore forest in Kano, Borgu and Zugurma forests in Niger State.

It further urges the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), to revisit and optimize fully the Acts passed for the National Counter Terrorism Centre as well as The National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, and ensure that they fully serve the purpose of their establishment.

The Green Chamber also urged the federal government to absolve the Military and Security establishment from the restrictive envelope budget system,  allowing them to develop a robust budget that is based on need assessments that reflect security peculiarities and reality on the ground.

It also mandates the House Committee on Finance to investigate the utilization and effectiveness of the Safe School Initiative Fund and report back to the House within four weeks even as members observed a minute silence for lives lost.

For a better society

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