FG has never prevented freedom of expression ― NSA

The National Security Adviser, Major- General Babagana Monguno (rtd.) has said that the Federal Government has never stopped Nigerians from freedom of expression or agitation as being made to believe

Monguno stated this at the Nigeria International Partnership Forum in Paris while speaking on the topic ‘Combating Persistent and Emerging Threats to Regional Peace and Security in Africa: Pivotal Role of Nigeria”.

He also revealed that in recent months, there had been an endless mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathizers in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria with the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures being used by the troops

According to him, “such as rapid population growth which puts tremendous pressure on states to compete for energy, water and food to support life and economic and societal development; a growing cyber awakening in which perceptions of inequality and other grievances are heightened, leading to social tension and conflicts; a continuation of ideological extremism, driven by religious or ethnic differences; and climate change that could prompt shifts in agricultural patterns and food production likely to trigger humanitarian crises, if not appropriately addressed.

“All these global security challenges have the potential to undermine national security and by implication national development”.

He pointed out that the African continent was not immune to these global security concerns.

According to him, “this is because most of our contemporary security problems are influenced or heightened by external threat factors in the global environment. Currently, we are faced with a series of security threats, the most serious being the transnational threat of terrorism perpetrated by the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs).

“Other major security challenges include piracy, transnational organized crimes, climate change as well as cyber threats. Undoubtedly, all these security challenges pose varying degrees of threats to the social, economic, and political dynamics of not only Nigeria but also of the African continent.

The NSA said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had continued to significantly degrade this threat.

According to him, “In recent months, there has been an endless mass surrender of terrorists and their sympathizers in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, Currently, over 15,000 people have been received. It is important to note that the combination of kinetic and non-kinetic measures, largely contributed to this wave of surrender.

“This situation has prompted large-scale humanitarian activities to rehabilitate the returnees by expanding the already existing Operation SAFE CORRIDOR for de-radicalization and subsequent reintegration into society.

He pointed out that Nigeria neighbours such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon, and others have cooperated in the fight against terrorism.

According to him, “we have also continued to strengthen collaboration with our international partners, notably the US, UK, and France under a P3 partnership platform as well as numerous INGOs and the UNICEF. They have all contributed immensely to ensuring that the security situation in the sub-region improves.

He said Nigeria would continue to strengthen its regional and international partnerships in tackling terrorism in order to create a more secure environment.

He added that Transnational organized crimes such as illicit financial flows, money laundering, and proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) amongst others, have continued to create security challenges in the region.

According to him, “as part of efforts to address the proliferation of Arms, Nigeria recently established a National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) domiciled in the Office of the National Security Adviser to serve as the institutional framework as well as complement other efforts. In addition, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), and the INTERPOL as well as other international agencies have been quite effective in monitoring and trafficking illicit financial flows.

He also said climate change associated with global warming has continued to generate environmental challenges such as desertification, floods, and by extension food insecurity in the region.

According to him, “additionally, this is mainly responsible for the shrinking of the Lake Chad as well as loss of grazing reserves. These irregularities in temperature cause the land to deteriorate, thereby negatively affecting the growth of crops while livestock struggle to find sufficient water

” This has, in turn, generated pastoralists-farmers conflicts due to competition for grazing and farming areas as well as flooding in some parts of the region.

“Nonetheless, the Nigerian government continues to support all efforts at mitigating the threat of climate change through effective environmental policies and international initiatives such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Nigeria’s commitment to this framework is quite evident by its recent participation in COP 26 in Glasgow.

“The government is also exploring all possible measures to recharge the Lake Chad from the River Congo in order to mitigate the challenge of climate change and other associated concerns.

He also identified cyber crimes cybercrime, cyber espionage and cyber-terrorism, public health challenges, porous borders, piracy, and sea robbery, fake news, and hate speech as a significant global and regional security concerns.

“The increasing dissemination of fake news, especially through the social media has undermined journalistic norms as a potent force of misinformation. Fake news spreads quickly due to its mode of propagation, thus constituting a threat to national security, particularly when used to incite conflict or violence.

The NSA said the Nigerian government would continue to extend the dialogue to Separatist groups which have gained international sympathy, such as the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

According to him, “It should however be noted that the Nigerian government has never prevented the freedom of expression or agitation; however, the violent confrontation and engagement of security forces by these groups usually translates into fatalities and other grave consequences.

“While we continue to extend dialogue as the main medium for resolving conflicts in the country, the Nigerian government will continue to discharge its responsibility of ensuring the safety of lives and property against any criminal activity by IPOB or any separatist group.

“However, the distinguishing feature about the situation in Nigeria is that we have shown the capacity to address insecurity for ourselves and the region. Furthermore, we have demonstrated enormous capacity under the African Union and ECOWAS bodies to resolve crises on the continent.

“It is therefore critical to reiterate that the Muhammadu Buhari administration will continue to pursue the tripod of ensuring security, tackling corruption, and promoting an inclusive economy in order to ensure a peaceful, secure and prosperous Federal Republic of Nigeria, and by extension the African continent.”

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