NEWS
Nigeria’ll Strengthen Regional Collaboration Against Terrorism- Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria will continue to strengthen collaboration and lead in taking measures towards countering terrorism in Africa.
Tinubu said this at the High-level African Counter-terrorism meeting on Monday in Abuja with the theme “Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threats of Terrorism in Africa”.
He said that Nigeria’s Counter-terrorism capacities have been enhanced through enactment of the terrorism prevention and prohibition act and establishing the National Counter-Terrorism Centre(NCTC).
Tinubu said, “Dedicated to coordinating and implementing counter-terrorism strategies, the NCTC significantly enhances our capacity to detect, prevent, and respond to terrorist threats.
”The Centre has become a platform; fostering greater collaboration among stakeholders and promoting synergy in our approach to fighting terrorism.”
The president said that the continent must, however, prudently handle the root causes of terrorism through good governance, rule of law, justice and inclusiveness.
He said that the citizens must be assured of their safety through robust programmes and policies aimed at not only eradicating the menace but building trust.
“The fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach. We must address the root causes of extremism, such as poverty, marginalization, and social injustice.
”However, this important fact should not become empty rhetoric, devoid of meaning or action.
“Terrorism snipes at the very fabric of the tranquil, prosperous and just societies we seek to build for ourselves and our children.
”Terror cannot co-exist in the same space as democracy and good governance, just as darkness and light cannot endure in the same room at the same time.
“Its goal is to cause such havoc that we doubt our democratic principles, putting societies and governments into such confusion and disarray that we begin fighting among ourselves instead of fighting the very thing that seeks our destruction,” he said,
Tinubu also described the activities of illegal mining on terrorism financing in the continent, adding that it is a significant factor boosting the menace.
He said that the international community has both the moral and legal obligation to support Africa in its fight against external funding of terrorism.
The president also called for collective efforts against terrorism through fully operational regional counter-terrorism centres to serve as hubs for intelligence sharing, operational coordination, and capacity building within the region.
“Additionally, we must strengthen existing counter-terrorism structures such as the Regional Intelligence Fusion Unit (RIFU) Abuja, the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers and the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) in Addis Ababa.
“A Regional Standby Force that includes tackling terrorism as part of its mandate must not be abandoned. I am mindful of the funding, legal and logistical complexities that face the proper establishment of such a force.”
He also called for the establishment of an all-inclusive African Union Ministerial Committee on Counter Terrorism as envisaged in the Declaration of the 16th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union Assembly in May 2022.
Tinubu said, “Nigeria is committed to working with our regional partners to strengthen arms control measures, enhance border security, and disrupt the illicit trafficking networks that fuel terrorism and organised crime.”
Early, Dr Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary General, urged African leaders to address the trust deficit by citizens through programmes and policies that include victims of violent extremism.
Mohammed said that women and youths are veritable tools for campaigns of terrorism and become ready tools when faced with bad governance, lack of justice, lack of transparency and non-inclusion.
She added,’ “Victims of terrorism must be appropriately reintegrated into the society through mental and psychological interventions as well as adequate recognition for them to overcome the trauma of their experiences in the hands of terrorists and other extreme violent actions.”
Amina said that the women were more vulnerable to extremist activities in the continent and therefore required more attention for their physical and psychological health.
The two-day meeting will feature paper presentations including; the evolving terrorist threat landscape in Africa and countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
Other papers are enhancing regional capacities to counter and prevent terrorism and strengthening cooperation between international partners and affected African member states.
The event was attended by the Presidents of Benin Republic Patrice Talon; Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo and Togo, Faure Gnassingbe.(NAN)
The Police Command in Lagos State says a five-year old girl, simply identified as Bosede, was crushed to death by a truck while crossing the Iganmu-Apapa expressway with her mother.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Sunday.
Hundeyin said the information of the accident was received by the Iponri police Division on Saturday at about 11.
30 a. m.He said the accident happened at Iganmu under the bridge, inward Apapa, involving a truck driven by yet to be identified driver.
The spokesperson said the girl and her mother were allegedly crossing the expressway when the truck hit and crushed her head, killing her on the spot.
Hundeyin said the police traffic officers from the division visited the scene and removed the corpse for burial by the family.
He said investigation is ongoing for possible arrest of the fleeing driver. (NAN)
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, has commended Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, for rehabilitating serving and fallen heros mentally and physically, by creating the Invictus Game.
The governor made the commendation on Sunday, while receiving Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, the Dutchess of Sussex, at the Lagos House, Marina, on a courtesy visit.
Reports says that Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived Nigeria on May 10, to promote the Invictus Games.
Invictus Games is an initiative of Prince Harry, founded to support the rehabilitation of wounded and sick service men and veterans, including Nigerian soldiers and their fight against terrorism.
NAN reports that the royalties arrived the Lagos House at exactly 1.
10 p.m. and were accompanied by Gen. Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, and his wife, Lilian.The visit, which is mainly to promote the Invictus Games, founded in 2014, and aimed at helping serving members of the military and veterans to overcome their physical injuries or mental health challenges, which helps them develop a sense of belonging and increased self-esteem.
“We’re indeed happy for what they’re doing, especially for our military men on conversations around mental health and how they can manage people, who require support both in the military and private.
“Mental health issues are also something we all live around, with the denial, and the stigmatisation.”
Sanwo-Olu explained that the royal couple were on a visit to Nigeria, and Lagos was one of their stop-overs and that Nigerians were excited about their wonderful ideas.
“We just want to assure you gentlemen of the press that for Prince Harry, this has been a very informative trip to the country, he has seen a lot, he is still soaking in a whole lot.
“And part of the things that we’re hoping that he would take away is our diversity and the extent of how big our country is, how we continue to ensure that we live together in peace and harmony and the role Lagos plays,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The governor said he looked forward to hosting the couple in the near future, adding that Meghan, who has a decent percentage of Nigerian in her genealogy, looked well in her Aso-oke, (Nigerian traditional attire).
“Talking importantly about the Invictus Game, at what point can we have it in Nigeria , so that the Nigerian competitiveness can also be reflective in that game,” the governor said.(NAN)
Hoodlums have again, attacked and demolished a 67-year-old visually impaired man’s house, Mr Anibeze Nnadi.from Awoke-Agana family in Uwani-Otobo, Umuezike Aku in Igbo-Etiti LGA of Enugu State.
The hoodlums was said to have arrived Nnadi’s house in their numbers at midnight when he was asleep, shot sporadically in the air, attacked him and brought him outside before demolishing the house.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday in Enugu on the development, Nnadi accused the son of the suspended traditional ruler of the community, Prince Uzochukwu Okwor, of being responsible for the attack.
Reports says that Uzochukwu’s father, Igwe Christopher Okwor, was on September 2021, suspended by the Enugu State Government for allegedly demolishing a two bedroom building belonging to Nnadi, a house built for him by Ezemagu family over land issues.
Nnadi, who said that he had no issue with anyone, wondered why he had become a subject of attack.
“I am not quarrelling with anybody but they frequently attack me.
“I was in my house on Tuesday when I heard gun shots but before I knew it, they started beating me, drag me outside and demolished my house.
“This is the sixth time they are demolishing my house that good Samaritans built for me.
“The land they built on belong to me,” he said.
Nnadi, who said he had been suffering from serious body pain since the incident, however, appealed to Enugu State Government to come to his aid and build him another house.
The eldest man in Ezemagu family, Chief Daniel Ezemagu, said that the perpetrators carried out the act because the blind man had nobody to speak for him.
“We could not resist the attack because they came with guns and other weapons and were shooting everywhere.
“I want peace and I want Enugu State Government to help us achieve that peace by allowing truth to prevail,” he said.
Ezemagu further said that the continuous delay by the Enugu State Government to release report of its panel of enquiry on the matter was contributing to the suffering of the victim and causing breakdown of law and order.
He described the act as painful, stressing that they were suspecting Okwor’s son to have perpetrated the demolition.
He hinted that the community was planning for peace on Sunday but they came on Tuesday and demolished the place, leaving Nnadi homeless.
“I don’t know their interest in the matter. Government should help us to unravel those behind the demolition as we now live in fear,” he appealed.
Reacting, Okwor’s son, Prince Ugonna Okwor, said no member of the royal family had been attacking anybody.
He said that all the allegations were untrue and a ploy by Nnamdi Ezemagu to tarnish the image of the royal family.
According to him, there are several pending cases in court; they destroyed the building themselves and run to the media to seek sympathy.
“They have seen that my father is about to be reinstated by the Enugu State Government and came up with the demolition allegations.
“We agreed that everybody should build their own and that nobody should touch one another’s buildings but they continue building and demolishing and run to police to intimidate my younger brother.
“There is no blind man connection to the ownership of the land in suits in court,” Okwor said.
According to him, Nnadi had a house which they say it was inhabitable for him.
“Why can’t they build in his old house they demolished but prefer going to the land that is in contention to build for him?” he asked.
When contacted, Nnamdi Ezemagu stated that allegations by Okwor were false and a calculated attempt to divert the attention of the public from the criminal activity of his brothers and their gang.
He said that one Kenechukwu Ani was arrested and confessed to the crime of demolishing Nnadi’s house in 2021 through the connection of Uzochukwu Okwor and his father. (NAN)
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