By Uche Onyeali
West African Action Network on Small Arms, WAANSA, has commended the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, for the concerted efforts to curb insurgency and banditry in Nigeria.
WAANSA gave the commendation in a statement by the Regional First Vice President, Comrade Martin Igwe, while speaking as special guest at the Arms Destruction Exercise by the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, Office of the National Security Advisor in Abuja.
The network expressed satisfaction over numerous efforts by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in addressing the menace of insurgency in parts of the country.
“West African Action Network has observed with great satisfaction the numerous efforts of the National Security Adviser towards addressing insurgency and banditry in Nigeria — from the arrest of notorious terrorist Abu Bara Abbas to securing the release of abducted victims in Zamfara, and demonstrations of capacity through alienating the Ansaru foreign collaborators through surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking,” Igwe said.
Igwe, however, decries non-prosecution of highly-placed individuals who were linked to alleged terrorism financing.
“WAANSA read with utmost shock the allegations made by former General Commanding Officer of the First Mechanised Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna, retired Major General Danjuma Ali Keffi, linked to terrorism financing in Nigeria. These were exposed in the last administration by security investigation but later shielded from prosecution.
“The former GOC and Commander of Operations were tasked with dismantling terrorism financiers’ networks, maintaining that those arrested were linked to former cabinet ministries. Despite the presence of representatives from the Department of State Services, Defence Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, and Attorney General of the Federation, the high-profile suspects were never prosecuted and were later released — a matter of national security.
“This release of high-profile suspects messes up the efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria and bring them to justice. Finally, for coordinating other African Chiefs of Defense Staff towards united and secure borders, we must extend hands of international cooperation with other countries against insecurities and criminalities which worsen infiltration of illegal arms and light weapons,” he posited, calling on President Bola Tinubu to approve special funds for border security, which he said aid quicker end to terrorism.
“WAANSA appeals to President Bola Tinubu to mobilise special funds for border security, as doing that will go a long way towards a permanent end to insurgency, small arms infiltration, drugs, and other trans-border crimes. Foreign investment will only come when there is peace and security,” he concluded.
