REVEALED: How Banks, Civil Societies, Media Can Help Nigeria Win War Against Terrorism

For Nigeria to win the war against all acts of terrorism across the country, financial institutions must live up to their game in tracing and stopping sources of terrorism financing, this is according to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

While speaking on Wednesday, 11 June, 2014, at the opening ceremony of a three-day 2014 national security seminar, with the theme: “National Security Challenges and Contemporary Security threats in Nigeria,” the military chief also noted that civil societies and the media had a role to play in curtailing terrorism propaganda in the news and other social media.

Mr. Badeh stated that the military approach was one of the many approaches that were required to ensure peace and security in the nation.

According to him, from the military perspective, the terrorist phenomenon had been carefully studied and understood as a system composed of many dimensions.

He added that the armed forces had adopted the systems approach towards resolving the situation, stressing that the Boko Haram terrorist phenomenon had various components that needed to be understood, attacked and defeated if overall success was to be attained by the security agencies.

* Nigeria's CDS, Alex Badeh

* Nigeria’s CDS, Alex Badeh

The CDS opined further that the components which made up the terrorist group included the topmost leadership of the system, which comprised the sect’s strategist or “think tank,” the sect’s sanctuaries scattered in forests and mountainous areas of the North-East and the foot soldiers, who were responsible for reconnaissance of proposed targets, setting up of improvised explosives devices (IEDs) suicide bombing and gun battles.

He also announced that there were also willing sympathisers of the sect, who financed, supplied weapons and other logistics, as well as provided platforms for the media campaign.

Badeh maintained that while the military was required to attack and destroy many of the terrorist systems, other instruments of national power and agencies of government and civil society were required to frustrate and defeat other aspects of the terrorists system.

While lamenting that the Boko Haram insurgency had grown from the activities of a small cell of religious adherent intent of propagating their brand of religious convictions to that of a full-fledged terrorist group, the CDS maintained that the war against terrorism was not a fight for the military alone, rather it was a fight of the entire nation.

* Nigerian soldiers

* Nigerian soldiers

He declared that the solution required for the range of internal threats confronting the nation is a multi-dimensional approach by various stakeholders.

The CDS also charged governments at all levels to provide dividends of democracy to the people, as there was need for a secure a safe environment.

He added that the military believes that when all efforts were combined in a holistic manner, they would be able to conquer terrorism and restore peace and order in the country.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, while speaking at the occasion said that the Airforce had established forward observation post in all the country’s border.

He also stated that the country’s border were too wide, adding that all they needed to do was to double their efforts, saying “we should harmonise our efforts dedication and make sacrifice in tackling the current security challenges.”

* Some members of Boko Haram sect

* Some members of Boko Haram sect

The air chief  noted that most people underrated the Boko Haram, asking “why did they choose that part of the country to carry out their terrorist activities, because they carried out their study and military also carried its study on their modus operandi?

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