Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has revealed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East.
The CDS revealed this during the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.
His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.
“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.
“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.
“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.
“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.
“Those supporting the terrorists by giving them logistics, we have to look for the oxygen. Where is the funding coming from? How are they getting the logistics across?
For us in the Armed Forces during our operations, one of the challenges is IEDs. IEDs have been the major challenge since the beginning of the insurgency. So we are looking at aspects of how we handle this, what solutions, and what new things we can do.
“Because you have to be creative. To fight this insurgency, you have to be creative and innovative every day. Because they are not relenting.
“As the theatre commander in the Northeast, we found out that if we are able to deny them this logistics, this oxygen, they will not survive. We did that, and that’s why you have almost 200,000 that have surrendered.
“But through enhanced communications and non-kinetic activities, many of the terrorists are realising the fruitlessness of what they are doing and retracing their steps.
“I’ve observed that with the asymmetrical challenges we are facing if you don’t communicate, you might be doing the right thing, but the perception might be different. And the enemy is working on that. So it’s important that we get that part right.
“And then you cannot work in isolation as a country. We need our international partners working together with us. Our neighbours are very, very relevant to us. Nigeria, as we are all aware, is surrounded by Francophone countries. And so the challenges are there.
In his remarks, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, said, “The objective of the Security and Justice Symposium, a vital platform for dialogue and collaboration among our security and justice institutions, is clearly to delve into the successes, challenges, and opportunities for growth within the realms of security and justice.
“As we embark on this journey of critical analysis and discussion, let us keep in mind the noble goals set before us, from analysing and strengthening the intricate relationship between military operations and law enforcement, to enhancing the protection of civilians, very important, and fostering a culture of justice and accountability, to promoting a unified approach in countering improvised explosive devices.
“Each objective is poised to make a significant impact. Our intended achievements are ambitious, of course, yet entirely within our reach.
“As we review and map existing frameworks, evaluate institutional practices, and establish collaborative mechanisms, our collective efforts will chart a course towards a safer and more just society for all.
“I am honoured to see such an esteemed gathering of key stakeholders from various sectors, including representatives from the military, law enforcement agencies, legal authorities, human rights organisations, and civil society groups. Your presence here today underscores the importance of our shared commitment to security, justice, and the well-being of our communities.
On his part, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Richard Montgomery, said, “Both Nigeria and Britain 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 itself, and these complex challenges require a multifaceted approach.
Expressing delight that the CDS, General Musa, talked about the nexus between civil and military collaboration, between kinetic and non-kinetic action, he said this is an area where we’ve seen some really important lessons for us emerging from the Nigerian security architecture.
“At the heart of all this is a recognition of the importance of upholding the rule of law, human rights, humanitarian law, and international humanitarian law. The importance of these principles for the way in which we tackle security challenges, and our lawyers keep telling us, and we have lawyers in the British High Commission as well as the Nigerian government.
“We need to consider the different legal principles and frameworks that apply to criminal violence or to violent conflicts and how we deal with them in protracted conflict zones, and I think that there’s already been a productive dialogue in our security defence partnership.
“The UK knows only too well from our own experience, our own involvement in armed conflict, that incorporating human rights doctrine is quite challenging. The strategies needed are not without complexity, but we do. The UK strongly believes that our commitment to these legal principles and doctrines is because of the experience we’ve had.”
