The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has said terrorism and violent extremism in West Africa sub-region can only be defeated through collaborative efforts.
Ribadu stated this Tuesday in his remarks at opening ceremony of stakeholders meeting on consolidating collaborative efforts to prevent and counter the acquisition and use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)by terrorist groups in West Africa
“The threat of terrorism knows no one, and it is highly through collaborative efforts such as this that we can effectively confront and defeat this menace,” he said
Represented by the permanent secretary special services NSA Mohammed Sanusi, he said the regional meeting serves as a platform to share knowledge, best practice and experiences in addressing insecurity in the region.
“We aim to develop effective mechanisms to enhance our ability to prevent and counter the use ofImprovised Explosive Devices (IEDs),”he said.
He said the recommendations that will emerge from the meeting are vital in sharing and shaping strategies and initiatives to safeguard communities and the sub-region at large.
“I encourage all participants to actively engage in discussion and get ideas and work towards solutions that will tell them how counter-terrorism can affect communities in West Africa.
“Let us seize this opportunity to make a tangible difference in our fight against terrorism and create a safer and more secure future for all,” he said.
In her remarks, the German ambassador to Nigeria, Annet Günther, lamented the increase in high-impact attacks involving IEDs in the region.
Represented by the Head of the Political Section at the German Embassy in Abuja, Matthias Dold, she said the global trend of weaponizing commercial drones presents a troubling development.
“These technological advancements tend to jeopardize much of the impressive progress that many countries have made in bringing back stability, not least Nigeria in the three northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa,” she said.
She emphasized the need to strengthen national and regional counter-IED expertise by “disrupting the supply chains of IED components, and turn intelligence into the core of the scientific evidence.”