Nigeria: Security summit calls for "urgent increase" in funding military, other security agencies in war against Boko Haram
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – Participants in one-day North-East Security Summit, held in the epicentre of Boko Haram violence in Maiduguri, have called on the Federal Government to urgently increase the funding of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies involved in the fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorism and other crimes in the North-East.
The Summit was attended by the six Governors from the Northeast region, members of the National and State Assemblies, the Inspector General of Police, top military and police personnel and other security chiefs, traditional leaders and Civil Society Organisations and media.
The participants, in a 14-point communiqué released on Wednesday by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, noted with “deep sense of appreciation, the roles and sacrifices of the Nigerian military, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies involved in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast zone and urged them to continue to do more in the service to their fatherland”
“The summit therefore called on the Federal Government to urgently increase the funding of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police and other security agencies involved in the fight against insurgency and other crimes in the Northeast.
It also called on the federal government’s Northeast Development Commission to assist the Governors of the region, the Police and other security agencies in providing more logistics and support for fighting the insurgency and insecurity.
The participants noted that “efforts need to be made by the Federal Government to dredge the canal of the Lake Chad so that the Military and other security agencies can fight the insurgents in the bid to end insurgency, as the military and other security boats can only operate and fight where there is water.
"That military operations at the fringe of the Lake Chad which is currently harbouring the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents need to be intensified and sustained.”
The Summit further encouraged the governments at all levels to engage in dialogue with the insurgents so that those who may want to repent and exits insurgency can do so easily. Police as part of their constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property, should take proactive measure to check drug abuse, banditry, kidnapping Etc, using modern technologies and other gadgets.
”That the Police should come up with modalities for informally linking up the operations of the Civilian JTF with that of the police, under the community policing model, while the state government should provide the necessary funding for such collaboration. All the security agencies are enjoined to take the fight against terrorism to the corridor of the insurgents and do everything to end the insurgency in the Northeast“, the participants further stressed.
The communiqué further said: “The state Governments should work with the security agencies to create access for farmers to go back to their farms so that economic activities can resume; border security should be enhanced by deliberately engaging other neighbouring countries and states in the matters of security.
“Deliberate efforts should be made by the state governments, the Northeast Development Commission and the police leadership to acquire modern crime fighting technology for the police and other security agencies to enable them deploy same in fight against insurgency and other crimes.
"Deliberate efforts should be made to encourage strong intelligence sharing between the traditional rulers, other stakeholders and security agencies. There is also need for the traditional rulers to be consulted in the recruitment of vigilantes and hunters who would assist the security agencies to check insecurity situations in the Northeast Zone.”
-0- PANA MON/VAO 6Nov2019
