The North remains a hotbed of terrorism in Nigeria. JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI writes about efforts to deal with the lack of trust and cooperation between civilians and security agencies that fuels the crisis.
The Northern region of Nigeria has been plagued by insecurity and terrorism for over a decade, with the Boko Haram insurgency being a major contributor to the chaos. Despite efforts by the military to quell the insurgency, the region remains volatile, with civilians often caught in the crossfire. A critical factor hindering the success of military operations in the region is the lack of trust and cooperation between civilians and security agencies.
In many instances, locals have been known to provide information to terrorists, leading to increased attacks and insecurity. The use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has become a recurring threat, causing destruction and loss of lives. This alarming trend has led to a renewed focus on strengthening the civilian-military bond, with the aim of encouraging locals to work more closely with security agencies.
The lack of trust between civilians and security agencies is a major obstacle to combating insecurity in the region. Security experts believe there is need to create an environment where locals feel comfortable sharing information with security agencies, rather than with terrorists.
Many segments of society believe there is need to provide alternatives to the youths who are being recruited by terrorist groups. Such opportunities can be created through education, employment, and economic empowerment.
Recently, a security and justice symposium was held to address these issues. It was organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the office of the National Security Adviser.
The symposium had as it theme, “Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct and Accountability.”
The event brought together stakeholders from various sectors, including security agencies, community leaders, and civilians. The discussions centered on the need to rebuild trust and foster cooperation between civilians and security agencies.
The symposium involved critical analysis by security and justice institutions regarding successes, challenges and areas for improvement in three priority areas identified at the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership dialogue.
There are three priority areas which are: the relationship between military operations, law enforcement, detention and criminal prosecution; the protection of civilians and accountability for civilian harm, and a justice and security culture and standard, and promoting a national Counter-IED enterprise to counter such activities
The symposium was to review, understand and map the existing framework for the intersection of security and justice, particularly in relation to the protection of civilians. It was also to consider, together with criminal legal frameworks and formal accountability mechanisms, how institutional culture and standards are currently established and promoted and where there may be scope to strengthen existing approaches. It was also to establish a standing mechanism whereby security and justice actors work collaboratively towards the effective implementation of agreed goals and standards.
Speaking at the event, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, raised the alarm over the increasing use of IEDs by terrorists and the support being provided to them by informants saying these were hindering the operators of the military troops in the ongoing war against terrorism in the country.
He, however, pointed out that the various challenges facing the country would soon end.
According to him, “For us in the armed forces, IEDs have been the major challenge since the beginning of the insurgency. So we are looking at aspects of how we can handle this, what solutions, what new things can we do.
“We have to look at how we can tackle this issue of informants because these are the people who have fueled the issue.
Read Also: Speaker Abbas advocates non-military approaches to tackling insecurity in Nigeria
“There are those supporting the terrorists by giving them logistics. We have to look for the oxygen. Where is the funding? How are they getting the logistics across?
“As the theater commander in the North East, we found out that if we are able to deny them this logistics, they will not survive. We did that, and that’s why you have almost 200,000 that have surrendered.
“So, I think if we replicate that all over, we will have very good results. It is also very important that we work together as a team, that is, all security agencies.”
General Musa emphasized that of all of society is needed to end terrorism and violent extremism in the country.
According to him, “We cannot do it alone without the public. So the citizens must be sensitised, and that brings about the issue of strategic communication. I have observed that with asymmetrical challenges we are facing, if you don’t communicate, even if you might be doing the right thing, the perception might be different. And the enemy is working on that. So it’s important that we get that part of that.
“We cannot work in isolation as a country. We need our international partners working together with us. Our neighbors are also very relevant to us.”
In his remarks while declaring open the symposium, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said that the symposium was a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among security agencies and justice institutions with the objective “to delve into the successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth within the realms of security and justice.”
Mallam Ribadu, who commended the National Coordinator of the Centre, Major General Adamu Garba Laka, for the work he was doing, pointed out that the symposium would provide an avenue to review and map existing frameworks, evaluate institutional practices and establish collaborative mechanisms, to chart a course towards a safer and more just society for all.
Also speaking, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, emphasized that security challenges in Nigeria and across the Africa continent is complex, hence require a multifaceted approach.
He commended the leadership of Nigeria in prioritising both kinetic and non-kinetic approach in fighting terrorism.
According to him, “This symposium was part of security and defence partnership that was first initiated some years ago, but was renewed under the National Security Adviser leadership in February this year.
“I think we have had a good dialogue on the fact that we all face really complex security challenges in many parts of the world, certainly in the West Africa region and even in Nigeria. And these complex challenges require a multifaceted approach.
“I am really delighted to hear General Musa, talk about the nexus between civil and military collaboration, between kinetic and non-kinetic action, and this is an area where we have seen some really important lessons for us emerge from the Nigerian security architecture and from Nigeria’s leadership today, and it’s really inspiring to be working along with them.”
Also speaking, the Chief Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, advocated for enhanced accountability for war crimes and violations of human rights during peace operations.
In addition , he urged for enhanced measures to win the confidence of the citizens to combat terrorism in the country.
Justice Tsoho, one of the judges involved in terrorism trials, was represented by Justice Binta Nyako. He said that division of labour was essential to the security agencies and the judiciary for maintaining an effective and just society.
He explained that the military and other security agencies needed to build the confidence of the people to enable them to get good and actionable information that will help them effectively fight terrorism.
He said the use of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CTF) by the military in conflict areas was one of the ways of building people’s trust.
According to him, “It is important that accountability is emphasized because you need to have the confidence of the people that you’re working with for them to be good informants to you, not informants to the insurgents. So there is a difference.
“These insurgents live among us. They are not spirits coming from the sky on the days of attacks. They are people who live within us.
“So if you have good informant capacity within the populace – the confidence that the populace have in the security agents – it’s going to go a long way to help in this fight against insurgency.
“I remember when we first started the Kainji trials; most people admitted to knowing or having knowledge of the activities of Boko Haram and did not report to security agencies. Why was this so? Because some of these insurgents are their relatives. In fact, they live in their homes. And if they did report to security agencies, then there is reprisal. So nobody reported.
“But if they have confidence that they are going to be secured, then they will be able to tell the security agents. But otherwise, nobody will ever come out and say it.
“So, there is a need for us to also operate within the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), that makes provisions for reintegration. It is also in the Terrorism Act. Reintegrating these people or even relocating these people to other communities where they can be reintegrated and live a normal life is essential. If they know that their families are going to be attacked, they won’t report. But if they know that their families will be secured elsewhere, then they will be more confident to be able to move and go and report.”
