- As CDS, Sultan Identify Causes Of Insecurity
Basking in the euphoria of the recent success recorded against bandits, President Bola Tinubu has warned terrorists and insurgents to surrender or face renewed onslaught of the military.
President Tinubu gave the warning while declaring open the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Inaugural Annual International Lecture, yesterday, in Abuja.
The lecture, with the theme: “Insecurity in the Sahel (2008-2024): Dissecting Nigeria’s Challenges – Genesis, Impacts and Options”, was conceived by the management of NAN as part of efforts to tackle the menace of insecurity in the Sahel and Nigeria.
He was represented by the National Security Adviser (NSA) Malam Nuhu Ribadu.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa, has said that a multi-dimensional approach beyond military intervention is needed to address insecurity in the Sahel.
Gen. Musa also stated this while delivering a message during the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Inaugural Annual International Lecture in Abuja.
He said that the prevailing security threats in the Sahel region and other parts of Africa were targeting Nigeria because of its strategic importance in the region.
Musa said the Sahel had, in the last decade and half, become synonymous with instability, violence, and insecurity ranging from the rise of insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP to the spread of violent extremism, human trafficking, and illegal arms proliferation.
He said that while insecurity did not emerge in a vacuum, its roots could be traced to a combination of local and global factors. These factors, according to him, include poor governance, economic marginalisation, climate change, ethnic tensions, and the spillover effects of conflicts in North Africa and the broader Middle East. He stressed that the collapse of the Libyan state in 2011, further unleashed an influx of weapons and fighters, which catalysed the rise of militant groups across the Sahel. “Nigeria, as a critical player in the region, has borne a significant share of the fallout from this instability,” he said.
Also, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, said that the deep rooted environmental, political and security challenges were affecting the property and peace in the Sahel region. Represented by the Emir of Gumi, retired Justice Lawal Hassan, the Sultan said that the region was blessed with abundant human resources, offering tremendous potential for rapid economic growth.
He described the Sahel as the vast semi-arid region of Africa, separating the Sahara Desert to the North and tropical Savannah to the South, representing a land of opportunities and challenges.
