Taraba : Participants Sue for More Funding to Combat Terrorism Financings, others

By Favor Williams

Participants at the workshop organized by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC) on Early detectives, reporting, prevention and proactive response to violent extremism and countering terrorism financing held in Jalingo, the Taraba State Capital have urged government at all levels to support the security agencies and community leaders in curbing activities of bandits and perpetrators of violent extremism.

The call which was contained in a Communiqué made available to Ziti News at the end of the two-day workshop also called on the government to increase funding for security institutions in order to effectively carry out their statutory mandate.

 The full text of the COMMMUNIQUE as adopted by the participants below

COMMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END A 2-DAY SENSITISATION FOR COMMUNITY NETWORKS AND SECURITY AGENCIES ON EARLY DETECTION, REPORTING, PREVENTION AND PROACTIVE RESPONSE TO VIOLENT EXTREMISM AS WELL AS THE UTILISATION OF EARLY WARNING/EARLY RESPONSE SYSTEMS, ORGANISED BY CIVIL SOCIETY LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY CENTRE (CISLAC)/TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL IN NIGERIA (TI-NIGERIA) FINANCED BY GIABA-ECOWAS HELD AT NIN MILLENIUM HOTELS, JALINGO TARABA STATE ON 28^TH AND 29^THAUGUST, 2024.

PREAMBLE:

CISLAC/TI-Nigeria financed by GIABA-ECOWAS organized 2-day sensitisation workshop for community networks and security agencies on early detection, reporting, prevention and proactive response to violent extremism as well as the utilisation of Early Warning/Early Response Systems. The Workshop aimed at bringing together state and non-state actors to improve collaboration, communication, coordination and intelligence gathering on early signals and proactive response to violent extremism in the North East through Early Warning/Early Response systems. There was a Welcome Remark from Executive Director of CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani) and an Opening Remark from Executive Governor of Taraba State represented by Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Dr. Jeji Williams, mni. The opening session was coordinated by Principal Private Secretary (PPS) to the State Governor, Mr. Godfrey Wesley Tafida. The meeting was graced by Goodwill Messages from Commandant-General of the NSCDC represented by Comdt. Remilekun Ekundayo; State Commandant of the NSCDC, Taraba State Command, Comdt. Adamu Salihu; Taraba State Commissioner of Police represented by ACP. Yakubu B. Itse; Taraba State Commander of the NDLEA, Comd. Ali Obadiah Umar; Ministry of Defence represented by Mr. M.M Monsoor; Head of Kofai District, Mr. John Yakubu; Sarkin Dawakin Muri represented by Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar. The Workshop had some technical sessions with presentations titled: Violent Extremism and the imperative of Early warning and Early Response and Security Agencies and community networks in the prevention and Counter Violent Extremism; Community Resilience and Counter-Violence Extremism and Detecting, Reporting and prevention of Violent Extremism. The Workshop was attended by over about 50 participants from the State Government, Security agencies, Traditional institutions, Civil Society, Religious institutions, Women groups, PWDs, Community-Based Organisations and the media. After brainstorming exhaustively on various thematic sessions, the following observations and recommendations were made:  

OBSERVATIONS:

1. While political will remains sacrosanct in the fight against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism, inadequate dialogues and sensitisation at community levels backpedals efforts at preventing terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
2. Delay in integrating collective support by telecommunication companies in data collection and tracking hampers required intelligence gathering to facilitate adequate and timely response to threat signals.
3. Poor allocation of financial and human resources across response institutions impedes proactive and timely response to reported threat signals of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
4. Coordinated and timely response against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism across response institutions is hampered by evolving tactics, unregulated axis of financial sector like crypto-currencies and POS activities, inter-agency collaboration, delayed international cooperation, limited financial and human resources, restrictive legal provisions, civil rights and public perception.
5. Poor technical know-how capacity at operational and institutional levels constitutes a major setback to achieving adequate, coordinated and efficient response to terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
6. Widening gaps in community engagement and mobilisation as exacerbated by the infiltration of foreign ideology with resultant eroding social value, local culture and tradition.
7. Unregulated social media enabled by the growing impact of globalisation is an aiding platform for radicalisation and indoctrination for terrorism and violent extremism.
8. The growing disconnect between the citizens and traditional institutions disrupts the courage and sensitisation at community levels in tackling social vices and upholding social justice.
9. Unattended illicit drugs and substance abuse, especially among the youth provides enabling platform for infiltration of terrorists and violent extremists.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

We, participants recommend as follows:

1. Adequate psycho-social support at sub-national levels to mitigate psychologicaltrauma and minimise tension occasioned by terrorists and violent extremists’ activities.
2. Creating a formidable EWER Community Group with strong collaboration with response institutions to enhance information secrecy and proper coordination in reporting and response to threat signals.
3. Creating a Common Situation Room comprising command units of all security agencies in Taraba state to enhance information coordination, risk assessment, intelligence filtering and analysis for appropriate response to threat signals.
4. Building synergy between the security agencies and Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) to ensure free access to communication data across telecommunication industries.
5. Formulation and full implementation of Whistle-blowing protection policy across response institutions to protect anonymous reporting, ensure data secrecy, and prevent reprisal attacks.
6. Promoting regular inter-community dialogue sessions comprising key stakeholders like traditional rulers, religious leaders, district heads, youth and women groups, to promote community-driven approach to preventing terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
7. Removing operational strategic barriers and limitations to the mandates and functions of specific institutions as defined in the National Security Strategy to enable comprehensive response to terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
8. Fostering political will at sub-national levels through the Office of SGS, to support the Taraba State Early Warning/Early Response Situation Room and Community Group, to enhance sustainability.
9. Strengthening Taraba State Early Warning/Early Response Situation Room through adequate resource allocation and enabling operational facilities, to enhance coordination and support intelligence gathering/analysis among response institutions.
10. Breaking barriers in intelligence gathering through thorough information scrutiny and risk analysis by the Situation Room, to prevent malicious information provision that lure response institutions to ambush.
11. Timely reporting of suspicious activities of violent extremists through the established Community Security Architecture, Nigeria Police Complaint Response Unit (NPF-CRU), Intelligence and Investigation Unit of the NSCDC, established EWER Situation Room and dedicated Counter Terrorism Reporting website.
12. Building communal courage at community levels through resilience building and locally-driven initiatives to prevent infiltration of terrorists and violent extremists.
13. Strengthening Community Security Architecture and Building sense of ownership, inclusion and responsibility in traditional institutions through dedicated provisions in the Constitution.
14. Proactive youth engagement through value re-orientation and targeted counter-narrative strategy and communication that discourage radicalisation and indoctrination process.
15. Building social value through community re-orientation and social connectedness that bridge barriers in observing and reporting threat signals of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
16. Adequate investment in information tracking system through the procurement of enabling equipment and technology for efficient data collection and analysis to support community-based approach to preventing terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism.
17. Building trust and synergy between the community and security agencies leveraging the Police Community Relation Committee (PCRC) and similar platforms across security agencies to foster positive relationship, promote collaboration and rapport for efficient reporting and response.
18. Strengthening technical know-how capacity across response institutions for efficient operationalisation of the latest tools and technology to improve intelligence gathering and response.
19. Improving intelligence gathering and analysis across response institutions through enhanced surveillance, human intelligence, data analysis capacity to response timely to reported threat signals.
20. Enhancing operational enforcement against terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism through deliberate counter-terrorism operations and specialised units.
21. Detecting and preventing terrorism financing through transactional monitoring by the Financial Intelligence Units, adequate regulatory measures, enhanced international cooperation, Crime Reporting Investigations Management System (CRIMS)data technology and analytics.
22. Strengthening community networks in the prevention of terrorism, terrorism financing and violent extremism through the creation of early detection and reporting system, resilience building, enhanced social inclusion and connectedness, education and awareness.
23. Deliberate funding of response institutions at national and sub-national levels through targeted investment in modern sophisticated tools and equipment that facilitate adequate response to threat signals.
24. Enhancing synergy and inter-agency collaboration through deliberate cooperation among relevant institutions.
25. Reviewing relevant provisions in the Administration of Criminal Justice at sub-national levels to eliminate barriers militating against adequate sanction of convicted violent extremists.
26. Formulation of a comprehensive reintegration plan for repentant terrorists/ violent extremists to secure community supervision and support for reintegrated persons.

Signed:

1. Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

Executive Director of CISLAC

• ACP. Yakubu B. Itse

Nigerian Police Force, Taraba State Command

• ACC. Aji Raniya

NSCDC, Taraba state Command

• Rev. Dr Philip Micah Doppah

TEKAN-ECWA (CAN), Taraba state

*Jafar Manga Jalo Rep. JONAPWD Taraba State

• Bashir Idris Rep. Muslim Council Taraba State
• Mrs. Paulina Wiliams

Women Group leader, Taraba state

• Dr.Yushau Sallahu Rep Civil Society Group at the workshop
• Queen Kunde

Ziti  Communication (Ziti Newspaper, Ziti online News, Ziti TV- www.zitionline.com) Rep Media, Taraba state