Govts, Army, Senate tackle insecurity

The Federal Government yesterday revealed how illegal mining activities aggravated insecurity in Zamfara before its April 7 prohibition order and launch of special operations to stop bandits in the state.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who featured at a Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) Programme, “Good Morning Nigeria”, said banditry, kidnapping, killing and cattle rustling were largely sponsored by the illegal miners in the state.

Speaking on the Programme monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, the minister said the miners were fueling instability in the state to pave the way for their illegal activities.

“People begin to ask what is the nexus between instability in Zamfara, kidnapping and banditry and illegal mining.

“There is a lot. For instance, if you are doing illegal mining, abinitio, it is illegal. The more unsettled the area is the better for you.

“We find out that a lot of ammunition and money were being turned out to the bandits so as to make the area ungovernable. The higher the rate of the crisis the better for the illegal miners,” he said.

The minister said that the commencement of “Operation PUFF- ADDER”, a full-scale security offensive against the bandits, had yielded results in the past weeks.

“We have a harvest of criminals many of them arrested, their actions neutralised and cache of ammunition recovered.

“On the April 14, they neutralized 11 kidnappers, recovered six AK47, 1200 rounds of ammunition.

“Shortly after that, they were able to arrest those who kidnapped the Channels Television correspondent,” he said.

Mohammed urged Nigerians to give deserving credit to the police and the military who, though overstretched, are doing their best to keep the country safe.

The Federal Government had banned mining activities in Zamfara, ordering foreigners within mining sites to vacate the area within 48 hours.

The Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, who disclosed this after a security meeting at the presidential villa on April 7, said the licences of individuals and companies that disobey the directive to stop the activities would be revoked.

He had assured sustained efforts to flush out, and permanently put an end to banditry and criminality in the state.

Read also: How to end insurgency, by Buratai

Buratai harps on cross-border cooperation

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai yesterday said the military is deepening regional and inter-state cooperation in some of its operations in Northwest and Northeast, in a bid to tackling security challenges.

Gen. Buratai spoke after paying a courtesy call on Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai at the Government House in Kaduna.

He explained that the approach was to expand military cooperation, where criminals crossing into neighbouring countries were pursued and apprehended.

”As long as we are the one pursuing them, we have the right to enter into the territory of a neighbouring country to deal with them and the country has also been granted permission to pursue criminals into our own territory,” he said.

Gen. Buratai also stressed that similar approach is also applicable locally, as the military operations cut across all states of the federation, adding that criminals spilling over to another state or command would be pursued and apprehended.

“We used to have this problem before — criminals crossing over to other state and commanders saying, ‘no it is not my area of operation’. This would no longer be tenable, as the commanders have been directed appropriately,” he said.

He also assured that the Nigerian Army would continue to work assiduously with other sister services, including the Police and other security agencies, to restore security to the region.

He explained that the operational bases in Birnin Gwari and Kafanchan will soon be transformed into a full battalion.

Buratai thanked the state government for its support and encouragement for the military formations and personnel deployed within the state.

According to him, the state government has contributed in so many ways to the operations of the Army, including procuring new vehicles, provision of accommodation and engaging in public sensitisation on security matters.

El-Rufai thanked the Army for its security support, especially for the establishment of the military base in Kafanchan, in the southern part of the state.

He said the military base in Kafanchan has brought about relative peace in the area and environs.

The governor, who was represented by Deputy Governor Bala Bantex, lauded the adoption of regional cooperation in handling the security situation.

Nigeria seeks Russia’s help

The Federal Government has solicited the cooperation of Russia to eliminate the Boko Haram insurgents from Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin countries.

Minister of Defence Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali made the appeal on Wednesday at the 8th Moscow “Conference on International Security.’’

Gen. Dan-Ali also sought Russia’s cooperation in securing the maritime domain of the Gulf of Guinea.

Gen. Dan-Ali said Russia’s experience in counter-terrorism operations is required to bring the scourge of terrorism (Boko Haram) to an end.

“Military and technical assistance in this respect will be highly appreciated,’’ he said, adding that its cooperation in critical infrastructural development, especially the modernisation of Nigeria’s military arsenal is needed.

“It is the intention of Nigeria to leverage on Russia’s support to attain technological emancipation of our Military Industrial Complex and training of Nigerians especially in medicine, science and technology.’’

Gen. Dan-Ali expressed concern over the rise in terrorism and insurgency in the continent with specific reference to Boko Haram in Lake Chad Basin countries, Al-Shabaab in Somalia/Kenya, and Islamic State in Mali.

He said those “non-state actors tend to undermine the monopoly of the state over the use of coercive instruments of power as a result of widespread proliferation of small arms and light weapons.’’

“Since 2009, my country Nigeria has been combating terrorism engendered by an Islamic Sect called Boko Haram.

“Members of the Boko Haram sect have carried out series of bombings of public places and killed many innocent citizens.

“The group has over the years been receiving inspiration, training as well as mutual support from other transnational terror groups within and outside Africa.

“Nonetheless, owing to the sustained counterinsurgency operations by Nigeria and other countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission which include Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, the Boko Haram terrorist network has been overwhelmed and the leadership structure is presently decimated,’’ he said.

The minister expressed gratitude to the Russian government for its numerous training and scholarship which have been of immense benefit to Nigerians over the years, as well as recent military hardware procurement initiative.

On the Gulf of Guinea, the minister said Russia’s assistance is needed to curb the incidences of sea robbery, piracy on the seas, hijacking of ships and other ocean-going vessels.

He said adequate policing of the waterways of the gulf would combat large scale pollution, impair incidence of illegal dumping of toxic or radioactive wastes.

Gen. Dan-Ali said the pervasive security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea include piracy and armed robbery against ships in the region.

“The region remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. From the International Maritime Bureau Report of 2019, the Gulf of Guinea accounts for all six hijackings worldwide, 13 of the 18 ships fired upon, 130 of the 141 hostages taken globally and 78 of the 83 seafarers kidnapped for ransom in 2018.

“These figures depict the inherent danger to commercial shipping activities in the region,’’ he said.

He promised that Nigeria would create the legal and environmental conditions to accelerate Russian investment in the country, expand trade and achieve a better balance in the trade relationship.

According to him, at the moment both countries’ trade ties are lopsided in favour of Russia.

“Russia is the biggest market in Europe, while Nigeria is the biggest market in Africa. The trade relations have been below expectation leaving a gap for many unexploited potentials.

“Nigeria will also be interested in Russia helping to build nuclear power plants, petroleum pipelines, railways and other infrastructural development investments in oil and gas sector,’’ he said.