Terrorists exploiting socio-economic vulnerabilities to stay relevant — Gen Laka

The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Garba Laka, on Tuesday, disclosed that terrorist groups are now using modern technologies and exploiting socio-political vulnerabilities to stay relevant in the country.

The National Coordinator of the Centre stated this in Abuja while speaking at the Stakeholders Meeting on the review of the National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) 2016, in the renewed efforts to enhance its operations.

Gen Laka explained that the review of the counterterrorism document would ensure continued effectiveness in countering terrorism in the country.

According to him, “The Strategy was first published in 2016, and despite its relevance at the time, it has not undergone a review to reflect the evolving security landscape.

“As we all know, the threats we faced in 2016, and those we anticipated then, are quite different from the realities of today’s security environment. Terrorist groups have adapted their tactics, leveraged new technologies, and exploited socio-political vulnerabilities.

“This dynamic nature of the threat landscape necessitates a comprehensive review of NACTEST to ensure its continued effectiveness in countering terrorism in Nigeria.”

Gen Laka further explained that the Centre convened the meeting to engage all stakeholders in reviewing the strategy and adapting it to the current security dynamics.

According to him, “This review is particularly important as we have come to understand the necessity of a more holistic and non-kinetic approach to counterterrorism.

“While kinetic operations remain crucial in dismantling terrorist networks, we recognise that addressing the root causes of radicalisation is most essential.”

He restated that the Centre’s mandate is to coordinate and integrate the activities of security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies in the fight against terrorism in the country.

He added that the Centre has continued to play a vital role in detecting, preventing, and responding to threats, while fostering inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration.

According to him, “As we review NACTEST, we must align it with this mandate to ensure a more structured and effective counterterrorism approach.”

“Additionally, the importance of partnerships cannot be overemphasised. The Centre recognises that inter-agency collaboration, cooperation with international partners, and engagement with civil society organisations are fundamental to a successful counterterrorism strategy.

“The review of NACTEST must incorporate insights from all stakeholders, government institutions, security agencies, the private sector, academia, and the international community to ensure a well-rounded and effective framework.”

Earlier in his remarks, Director Policy and Strategy at the NCTC, Commodore Ahmad Madawaki, had said that the implementation of NACTEST was the responsibility of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with NCTC as a coordinating body.

According to him, “The reorganisation of MDAs due to the Orosanye Report brought about the overhaul of Nigeria’s public sector, which proposed the abolition of some MDAs and the merging of others.

“This development calls for stock-taking of NACTEST’s stakeholder list. Additionally, there have been new terrorism threats like the recent formation of the Lakurawa armed group in the north-west region.

“Additionally, we have recorded significant changes in the tactics used by terrorists. There is therefore the need to review NACTEST and its stakeholder list to capture the new or merged MDAs’ roles and responsibilities in order to meet the current terrorism dynamics, which have become complex. It is for this reason that there has been a need to call you all here today.”

Speaking, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arch Ahmed Musa, commended the Centre over its coordinated activities towards fighting terrorism in the country, which had yielded meaningful results in recent times.

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