By Victoria Onyisi
Steming from the evolving violent extremism especially in Northern Nigeria and the overarching need to curtail its further spread, the Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), Mr. Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) has called for increased community sensitisation against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
The Director represented by Advocacy and Communication Specialist, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Mr. Abubakar Jimoh, made this known during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Kaltungo, Kaltungo Emirate, Gombe state.
The sensitization came under the aegis of a project titled ‘Community Mobilisation against Terrorism, Terrorism Financing and Violent Extremism in the North East’. The project financed by GIABA-ECOWAS.
According to him, as poor awareness at community levels hamper collective monitoring and timely response to warning signals of potential terrorist activities and violent extremism, the security situation in the North-east has become increasingly complex and uncertain.
“Various non-state armed groups have emerged and consolidated coercive power to terrorize the population in Nigeria, as evident with the activities of the armed bandits, criminal gangs, separatist groups, religious fundamentalists, amorphous kidnappers, and many others often referred to in the Nigerian media as “unknown gunmen”.
“The consequences of terrorism have continued to aggravate extreme poverty rates among Nigerians, internally displacement, devastated livelihoods, just as opportunities for broader growth, development and prosperity are destroyed.
He said the project was necessitated by the need to mainstream community in conflict prediction process, while raising the consciousness of community members against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism across the North-East.
“The essence of this visit today is to familiarise His Royal Highness and community leaders with the project, while eliciting your buy-in towards achieving its objectives.
“This will also help community leaders and district heads here present to understand and cascade preventive measures against violent extremism in their respective domain,” he explained.
Reacting to the visit, Emir of Kaltungo, HRH Engr. Sale Mohammed Umar, commended the visit and mission of the project, stating that Gombe state has remained safe for the existing level of collaboration between the community and response institutions.
He alluded to the criticality of continued awareness and sensitisation of the community to raise people’s consciousness and conflict-sensitivity against potential danger like terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
The traditional ruler further demonstrated support and commitment towards CISLAC/GIABA-ECOWAS mission in the state.
He further pleaded the community readiness to enhance collaboration with response agencies in reporting threat signals by supporting community networks to observe and report signals to response institutions.
On a related development, the Acting Coordinator, North-east Development Commission, Alhaji Rufai Lawan Babamanu, has reiterated the Commission commitment towards socio-economic empowerment for sustainable development that discourages infiltration of violent extremism and terrorism financing across communities in the North-East region.
He stressed this during a courtesy visit to the Commission by CISLAC under the auspices of ‘Community Mobilisation against Terrorism, Terrorism Financing and Violent Extremism in the North-east’ project, financed by GIABA-ECOWAS.
In his words, the Commission since its establishment has focused largely on Needs Assessment that identify areas of priority for targeted socio-economic interventions, especially as related to education, health, agriculture and livelihood infrastructural development.
He said: “This visit is timely as the Commission has a roadmap which has taken agricultural programmes and socio-economic empowerment effort to discourage violent extremism in the region.
“The Commission has invested N6billion Education Development Fund to promote literacy and discourage all forms of radicalisation that enable violent extremism.
“The Commission leverages education as counter-terrorism strategy, and preventive measure against terrorism and violent extremism.
“We are hopeful that the Commission in collaboration with CISLAC will achieve a lot, especially in the areas policy advocacy, community sensitisation against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
“The Commission’s door is open to collaboration with CISLAC,” he pledged.
Earlier during the visit, the Commandant, NSCDC, Gombe State Command, Mr. Muhammad Muazu, highlighted that establishing a robust working relationship with CISLAC has become paramount to galvanise its objective towards sustainable development, which can only be achieved through peace and security as well as socio-economic stability.
“We are delighted that the Commission is ready to be part of this crusade targeted at community mobilisation against major challenges confronting sustainable development in the region.
“At institutional level, we looking forward to enhance working relationship with the new partnership towards achieving the underlying objectives of the project,” he assured.