By Stellamaries Amuwa, Abuja
The Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani), has called for enhanced community-based surveillance through institutionalised Early Warning and Early Response system, to elicit citizen-based report of threat signals for timely response to terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
The Executive Director represented by Advocacy and Communication Specialist, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Abubakar Jimoh, made this call during a courtesy visit to His Royal Eminence, Shehu of Borno, Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Ibn Shehu Garba Al-Amin El-Kanemi, at Borno Emirate, Maiduguri, under the aegis of a project titled ‘Community Mobilisation against Terriorism, Terriorism Financing and Violent Extremism in the North East’. The project is financed by GIABA-ECOWAS.
According to him, the project falls within conflict prediction mechanism in the areas of Early Warning and Early Response with community as a primary target, while stressing that the role of traditional institutions remains sacrosanct to achieving impactful community mobilisation against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism in the region.
He said: “This visit today aims at familiarising the Emirate and its Council with the project, while elicit your Eminence buy-in towards achieving its objectives.
“The project acknowledges and respects the critical role of Borno State Emirate Council in sustainable peace and security.”
The Executive Director reiterated the criticality of increasing public investment in public educational services to enhance quality of services, to prevent infiltration of violent extremists, who leverage illiteracy in radicalisation.
He urged targeted effort by traditional rulers and community leaders to foster unity among members of the community.
Earlier during the visit, the State Commandant, NSCDC, Borno State Command, Comdt. Farouk Musa, observed building nationalism spirit among citizens will to promote the overall national interest in proactive effort to mobilise citizens against terrorism, financing for terrorism and violent extremism.
“Maintaining laws and order is important to protect critical infrastructural facilities and alleviate socio-economic worries of the citizens, while restoring hopes and aspiration in the North East,” he said.
Also, the Commandant-General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps represented by Comdt. Ekundayo Remi Omolade, added that questioning unexplained wealth acquisitions at all levels; and confiscating assets and wealth acquired through terrorism or violent extremism, has become imperative to restore public trust on counter-terrorism activities.
Dr. Sani Yakubu, a Resource Person at CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, explained that while extremist ideologies are promoted by the malicious activities of ethnic militias, religious, secessionist movement, moral/value decay at community levels, poor conflict-sensitivity at community levels enables infiltration of extremist ideologies and violent extremism that promotes insecurity and instability in the North East.
“Threat signals associated with violent extremism in the North East include idealisation, radicalisation, recruitment and propaganda, alienation and marginalisation, increased violence and intolerance, weaponization,” he highlighted.
